Last night, the crypto market saw one of its biggest crashes in history. Billions were wiped out, with altcoins dropping by as much as 30%-40% in just hours. Even Ethereum (ETH) plummeted from $3,500 to $2,100 in just two days. But why did this happen, especially when Donald Trump has been openly supporting cryptocurrency in the U.S.? Let’s break it down in simple terms.

It’s Not Just Crypto – It’s the Global Economy

A lot of people assume crypto prices only move based on crypto-related news. But the truth is, the market is deeply connected to what’s happening in the broader economy. The main culprit behind this crash? Tariffs.

Trump’s Tariff Plans Spark Panic

Donald Trump recently hinted that he might impose tariffs (taxes on imported goods) on countries like Canada, Mexico, and China. These tariffs are meant to address issues like illegal immigration and drug trafficking, but they also come with major economic consequences.

1. Tariffs Make Things More Expensive – When a country imposes tariffs, it raises the cost of imported goods. Businesses then pass these costs onto consumers, making everyday items more expensive.
2. Inflation Goes Up – As prices rise, people have less money to spend, which slows down the economy.
3. The U.S. Dollar Gets Stronger – As a result of these tariffs, the U.S. dollar (DXY) gains strength. This might sound like a good thing, but for crypto, it’s bad news. A stronger dollar often leads to lower crypto prices because investors prefer to hold cash rather than riskier assets like Bitcoin.

How Does This Impact Crypto?

1. Investors Panic – When inflation rises and the economy looks uncertain, investors tend to sell off risky assets like crypto to move their money into safer investments.
2. Big Investors Get Liquidated – Many large crypto traders borrow money to invest. When prices drop suddenly, they are forced to sell their holdings to cover their losses. This creates a domino effect, pushing prices down even further.
3. Regulation Fears – If Trump’s tariff policies escalate, it could lead to more government intervention in financial markets, making investors even more cautious about crypto.

Is This the End of the Crypto Bull Market?

Not necessarily. While this crash has been brutal, it doesn’t mean crypto is done for. In fact, similar crashes have happened before, and the market has bounced back. Some experts believe this could be a temporary setback rather than the end of the bull run.

There are still positive developments on the horizon:

• Ethereum ETFs could boost demand – New investment products could bring more money into crypto.
• Banks might start trading crypto – This would make it easier for everyday investors to get involved.
• Government-backed initiatives – There’s talk of a U.S. Crypto Strategic Reserve, which could provide long-term support for the market.

What Should You Do?

If you’re invested in crypto, this is a time to stay calm. Market crashes are painful, but they are also part of the cycle. If history is any guide, those who hold on during tough times often see big gains when the market recovers.

Final Thoughts

Despite Trump’s pro-crypto stance, external economic factors like tariffs and inflation have a much bigger impact on the market. The crypto crash wasn’t caused by anything within the crypto space itself but rather by fear and uncertainty in the global economy. The good news? If you understand these patterns, you can make smarter investment decisions and avoid panic-selling during market dips.

What do you think? Will crypto bounce back, or is this the start of a longer decline? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Crypto Crash – Why is crypto crashing today? first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

One of the common frustrations in photography is dealing with unwanted reflections, especially when shooting through windows. Whether you’re capturing breathtaking landscapes through airplane windows or snapping a photo of an art exhibit behind glass, reflections can often ruin a perfectly good shot. But Adobe’s latest breakthrough promises to make this issue a thing of the past.

With its new Reflection Removal tool, Adobe is introducing an AI-powered solution that can remove reflections from photos taken through windows with just a single click. Available in beta as part of Camera Raw and coming soon to Lightroom, this tool is designed to work with raw photos and tackle the tricky problem of reflections that obscure the scene you actually want to photograph.

How Does Adobe’s Reflection Removal Tool Work?

The physics of reflections in photography is complex. When you shoot through a window, you’re actually capturing two overlapping images: the scene you want to photograph on the other side of the glass and a reflected image of your surroundings, often including yourself and the window frame. This dual-image setup can be hard to untangle, especially when dealing with reflections from large glass surfaces like car windows, store displays, or airplane windows.

Adobe’s Reflection Removal tool is powered by AI, but unlike generative AI, it doesn’t create new elements or alter your image artificially. Instead, it uses a model trained on millions of simulated photographs to learn how to separate the real photo from the reflection. The tool identifies the two images, separates them, and produces a cleaner version of the photograph where the reflection is eliminated.

To achieve this, Adobe’s AI model works by understanding the visual cues of reflections—such as edges of objects crossing each other or subtle variations in focus and white balance between the reflected and real scenes. This approach allows it to successfully remove reflections without distorting the rest of the image.

How to Use the Reflection Removal Tool

Currently, the tool is available for raw image formats (DNG, CR2, ARW, ProRAW) through Camera Raw and Adobe Bridge. If you want to give it a try, you can enable it by going to the Technology Previews section of the preferences in Camera Raw. Once activated, simply import your photo, open the Remove panel (the eraser icon), and check the Reflections box. The model will process the image in a few seconds and provide a preview of the scene without the reflection.

You can then adjust the strength of the effect with a slider. If you move the slider to 100, the reflection is completely removed. Moving it to 0 will bring back the reflection, and you can use the slider to find the perfect balance.

Real-World Examples of Reflection Removal

The tool works well in a variety of scenarios. For example, photos taken through airplane windows, where reflections of the cabin often obscure the view, can be cleaned up using Adobe’s new feature. In other examples, shots taken through museum display cases, train windows, or even those capturing the natural beauty of tidepools, all show significant improvements after using the Reflection Removal tool.

However, it’s important to note that the technology isn’t perfect yet. In cases with particularly strong or complex reflections, like cityscapes at night or highly reflective surfaces, the tool may struggle. If you find that it removes a reflection you actually wanted to keep, you can adjust the strength with the slider.

Tips for Best Results

While the tool can help you salvage photos with reflections, it’s still a good idea to minimize reflections in the first place. For example:

• When photographing through windows, avoid bright indoor lighting or try to press your camera lens against the glass to reduce reflection.
• For display cases or museum glass, using a telephoto lens or shooting from an angle can help reduce the appearance of reflections.
• If you’re shooting from a car window or airplane, aim for a head-on shot to minimize the reflection’s strength.

Though these techniques can help, sometimes reflections are unavoidable, and that’s where Adobe’s new tool really shines.

The Future of Reflection Removal

Currently, the Reflection Removal tool is available for raw photos, but Adobe plans to expand it to support other image formats like JPEGs and HEICs in the future. They also hope to extend the tool’s capabilities to remove smaller reflections (like those on eyeglasses), as well as things like dust, scratches, and even rain or snow on windows.

The goal is to provide an all-in-one solution for cleaning up unwanted elements from photos—whether they’re reflections, dust, or other distractions. Over time, Adobe’s AI model will continue to improve, making it more effective at handling complex scenarios.

Final Thoughts

Adobe’s Reflection Removal tool represents a significant leap forward in photo editing technology. While it’s still in its early stages, it already shows tremendous potential for photographers and everyday smartphone users alike. This tool could become an essential part of the editing workflow for anyone who frequently shoots through glass or windows, offering an easy way to turn a frustrating shot into a shareable masterpiece.

Stay tuned for updates, as Adobe refines this powerful new tool, and make sure to try it out for yourself in Camera Raw to see how it can improve your photos.

Press Release Link

The post Photoshop Unveils Powerful New AI Tool to Eliminate Unwanted Reflections in Photos first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

Samsung’s press release reveals that it has been working closely with Google and Qualcomm for several years to build the foundations of a new era in XR. As we move towards more immersive, natural, and wearable technologies, this could be the catalyst that propels XR into the everyday mainstream. And with the introduction of devices that look and feel like simple glasses, the vision is becoming more tangible than ever.

The Dawn of Android XR: Unlocking Infinite Possibilities

Imagine being able to walk through the streets of New York, climb the snowy peaks of the Alps, or interact with your favorite games and apps without ever leaving your living room. With XR technology, this level of immersion is no longer confined to the realm of science fiction. Thanks to innovations in VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR), the digital and physical worlds are merging in ways that will transform our daily lives.

Samsung is positioning its new Android XR platform at the forefront of this transformation. With Galaxy AI at its core, the platform offers a more natural and intuitive way to interact with the digital world. Samsung’s AI technology will allow users to engage with their environment through voice, gestures, and gaze, delivering a personalized experience that feels as natural as a conversation.

The potential applications are limitless, from revolutionizing the way we work and learn to changing the way we consume entertainment, engage in gaming, or even improve our health and wellness. With the backing of the broader Galaxy ecosystem and the power of Google’s suite of apps, this new XR platform promises to enrich every interaction, offering users a seamless experience.

Project Moohan: Samsung’s Vision for the Future of XR

Behind the scenes, Samsung has been working on an ambitious project that could bring the Android XR platform to life. Codenamed Project Moohan, this new headset is designed to provide an unparalleled immersive experience. The name “Moohan,” which means “infinity” in Korean, speaks to Samsung’s vision of limitless possibilities in XR.

Equipped with state-of-the-art displays, Passthrough capabilities, and multi-modal input, this device will be a spatial canvas, blending the real and virtual worlds in ways we’ve never seen before. Whether you’re exploring Google Maps, watching a live sports match on YouTube, or planning your next big adventure, the headset will provide a seamless and comfortable user experience. It’s all designed to be lightweight and ergonomically optimized, ensuring maximum comfort during extended use.

In addition to the headset, the Android XR platform will support a variety of devices, including glasses, marking an important shift towards more wearable, everyday tech.

The Future of XR is Here, and It’s Only Just Beginning

Samsung’s partnership with Google and Qualcomm is more than just a collaboration — it’s a turning point in the XR space. As Won-Joon Choi, EVP and Head of R&D at Samsung’s Mobile eXperience Business, said: “XR has quickly shifted from a distant promise to a tangible reality.” With multimodal AI transforming the way we interact with technology, the potential of XR to reshape how we live, work, and play is becoming increasingly clear.

Sameer Samat, President of Android Ecosystem at Google, echoed these sentiments, stating: “We’re at an inflection point for XR, where breakthroughs in multimodal AI enable natural and intuitive ways to use technology in your everyday life.”

For tech enthusiasts, this new era of XR technology offers a glimpse into a world where digital experiences are no longer confined to screens. As Samsung and its partners move closer to bringing this vision to life with Android XR, we’re about to witness an explosion of creativity, innovation, and change.

The possibilities are truly infinite — and the future of XR is just beginning. Stay tuned as we continue to explore the transformative potential of this groundbreaking technology.

The post Samsung and Google Set the Stage for the Future of XR with Android XR first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

Personalised Assistance with Gemini AI

The Gemini AI assistant is getting a memory boost, enabling it to store and recall details about your preferences, goals, and interests. Similar to ChatGPT’s memory feature, Gemini will allow users to build a more personal relationship with their AI assistant. For instance, you can teach Gemini about your likes, dislikes, or ongoing projects, either during conversations or via a “Saved Info” page.

This memory feature aims to eliminate repetitive instructions when working on multi-step tasks or projects, offering a streamlined experience for writers, students, and app developers. Importantly, users have full control over their data, with options to edit or delete saved details. Gemini will also notify you whenever it uses stored information to assist you.

Currently available in English, the memory feature is exclusive to Gemini Advanced subscribers through the Google One AI Premium Plan.

AI Creativity with Google Keep

For the more artistically inclined, Google Keep is set to introduce a feature that could turn casual doodles into polished artwork. According to Android Authority, hidden code in the app hints at an AI-powered tool capable of refining sketches into professional-looking images. Users might soon be able to upload drawings or create them directly in the app and ask the AI to “help me draw.”

The tool is expected to support various styles, including pencil, ink, and vector art, making it suitable for a wide range of creative needs. Additionally, the AI could differentiate between handwritten notes and sketches, offering tailored enhancements for each.

Another potential feature could include text-to-image generation, allowing users to transform written descriptions into visuals directly within Google Keep. While no release date has been announced, the presence of this code suggests the update might arrive sooner rather than later.

Smarter AI, Simplified Experience

Both upgrades highlight Google’s commitment to bridging the gap between user intent and execution. Whether it’s Gemini offering personalised book recommendations based on your preferences or Google Keep transforming a rough sketch into a polished masterpiece, these tools aim to make AI interactions more accessible and efficient.

For those keen to explore these advancements, keeping an eye on Google’s announcements will be essential. As the tech giant continues to innovate, it’s clear that AI-powered tools are set to play an even more significant role in our daily lives.

The post Google’s Gemini AI and Keep Updates: A Leap in Personalised Assistance and Artistic Creativity first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

Check out the video below as we get to see our clever monkey friends tell us more in their own mischievousness ways:

The magazine advertisement reading "Easy In – Easy Out" is enough to woo in the monkey thief. First, a quick call to friends to determine if the Refrigerator is nearby. The first one they find is not so well organized and it's not easy to find thing inside, so they move to the next one. Once found it, time to do the job. Crack opens the freezer and easily steals delicious treats. Three slices of pizza, milk, eggs, strawberries and more.. and once he's got all the food.. time to sneak off! And when the owner is back is too late.. easy in, easy out!

But let's find out why the thief monkeys have chosen Samsung's new Refrigerator having a look at its main features:

1. Maximum organization with no dead space
2. Delivering optimal freshness and unmatched convenience
3. Superior digital inverter technology improves energy efficiency

This post was sponsored by Samsung

The post Sponsored Video: Monkey Mischief in Samsung’s New Refrigerators first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

Dell computers – pending regulatory and stockholder approval – has been sold to Microsoft, Silver Lake, Michael Dell (the original founder of Dell) for $24,4 billion.

The company which was listed on stocket market has now been brought back into private control, with Michael Dell the largest shareholder with 16%, and will continue to run company. Microsoft’s part of the deal is thought to be worth just $2 billion, leading many to speculate just how much control Microsoft will actually have on future decisions.

The computer giant has been losing stock value since 2005, and this in part due to competition from tablets and the continued decline of the PC market. Over the last 5 years Dell has looked to turn around its fortunes with a shift of focus to enterprise hardware and services – but despite some success this new focus doesn’t looked to have solved Dell’s underlying problems.

Private Once Again, But Why?

By going private again, Michael Dell is probably hoping that being out of the limelight, and not being dictated do by shareholders, will see the computer giant able to concentrate on new innovative products – instead of having to pander to share holders who are only ever concerned with quarterly results and dividends.

Well, it all depends on what Dell decided to do with its new-found freedom. If Dell continues in the hardware market, which is most likely, then its hard to rule out a move toward more mobile products (tablets, phones and laptops).

There’s no suggestion the Apple and Google would be worried about another company trying to muscle into the lucrative tablet market, but with their XPS brand they can make high-end desirable products that sell. And if a newly privatised Dell could break into the tablet market, alongside Microsoft, that would be quite the success story.

Dell could also try its hand at smartphones, but even less likely as it decided not to pursue its mobile aspirations in December 2012, after less than stellar sales. But it’s clear there’s money to be made with its premium XPS/Alienware  products.

What’s In It For Microsoft?

Then there’s the Microsoft connection. At the time of writing we still don’t know the true reason for Microsoft’s investment in Dell. It could that they don’t want to see another PC manufacturer go to the wall, because if PCs die then Windows dies, and in turn Microsoft would be in hot water.

They have, however, released a vague statement: “Microsoft is committed to the long term success of the entire PC ecosystem and invests heavily in a variety of ways to build that ecosystem for the future."

But what will their 2 billion gesture get them? Well, it’s clear the Microsoft is eyeing up hardware as a way to boost growth, and despite the lacklustre sale of its Surface tablets, an investment in the Dell could see the company finally come up with something that will blow consumers minds. There’s no doubt that Dell’s expertise in industrial design and manufacturing is worth its weight in gold to Microsoft, but is 2 billion enough for Dell to take Microsoft’s hardware aspirations seriously enough? Only time will tell.

It could even be down to Dell’s patents – which they own a couple of thousand – whatever does happen it’s safe to say that Microsoft and Dell’s future are now inextricably linked for better or worse. The likelihood is their decision to invest is probably a combination of all the above. OEMs are the backbone of Microsoft, and if they don’t sell hardware, Microsoft doesn’t sell Windows – just how long this relationship will last is anyone’s game, though.

The post Dell sold to Microsoft, Silver Lake and Michael Dell for $24 billion first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

Sony To Go First

Microsoft In April?

Games, Games, Games.

The post Next-Gen Rumours: Next Xbox To Require Always-On Internet, Blu-Ray, Kinect 2.0 first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

Taiwanese smartphone maker HTC has unveiled its last quarter profits for 2012 and it makes for glum reading. The firm saw a 91 per cent fall in profits, and to rub even more salt into the wounds it’s been revealed the firm received an unlikely endorsement after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was apparently seen using one of its devices.

The company spent the whole of 2012 fighting tooth-and-nail with Apple in the both courts and on the high street. And while the company did try and streamline its operations it saw a 91 per cent fall in net profits in Q4 from a year ago to NT$600m (£12.9m), with revenues down 40 per cent to NT$60bn (£1.3bn).

The firm also predicted revenue for the first quarter 2013 could be as low as NT$50bn (£1.1bn) at a slide of 17 per cent from Q4 2012.

In other HTC news it seems that the Taiwanese handset maker has got a less than welcome endorsement from North Korea’s new leader Kin Jong Un.

The picture, obtained by the Korean Centra News Agency, shows the new leader speaking to his advisors, with a shiny HTC Desire at his side.

It actually a shrewd move the North Korean leader, as it wouldn’t be palettable to have a phone from Apple or a Samsung, which is made in South Korea, who they’re still technically at war with.

North Korea’s 3G network, Koryonet, was launched in 2008 with the help of Egyptian operator Orascom. Although reports suggest many locals do have devices, internet access and international calls are prohibited and widespread monitoring of calls and texts is.

For HTC, it’s probably not the kind of publicity it was hoping for as the firm aims to turn its fortunes around in 2013.

Ironically the smartphone maker left Korea last year in a bid to "streamline operations".

The firm has grown its business significantly in China - shipments there jumped nearly 400 percent in Q2 2012, for example. HTC has also said it will offer sub-1999 yuan (£203) devices in a bid to tap the huge appetite for smartphones at the lower end in China as well as renewing a focus on emerging markets.

M7 To The Rescue

HTC is expected to unveil a new flagship smartphone, the M7 at an event on February 19. It’s hoping it can turn around last year’s dismal performance with a new full-fat smartphone which will ditch megapixels for something the company dubs as “ultra pixels”.

It was thought that the M7 would come with an impressive 13-megapixel rear snapper. However, it is not being reported that the smartphone will feature a camera made up of three 4.3 megapixel sensor layers, which once combined should produce stills and videos that are substantially crisper, cleaner and have better colour accuracy.

The technology is very similar to the 41-megapixel camera on Nokia’s PureView, which the Finnish handset maker is thought to be bringing to its Lumia range of handsets soon.

HTC has also been talking up a new sound and camera experience on it’s handsets in 2013, Now we know about the camera, but what about sound? Well, 2012 HTC’s came with Beats audio – so expect something similar to that on the M7.

But from the earlier rumours, what we do know is that HTC M7 will have a 4.7-inch 1080p full-HD screen, 1.7GHz quad-core processor. It is expected to run on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) along with a layer of Sense 5.0 UI.

The phone is expected to go on sale in early March.

The post HTC Profits Down, Pins Hope To New Flagship M7 Smartphone first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.

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Yesterday, Research In Motion unveiled the Blackberry Z10, the first smartphone to run the company's brand-spanking-new operating system BB10. The whole premise of BB10 and the Z10 is the ability to control pretty much the entire phone, and operating system, from a couple of cleverly engineered gestures and swipes.

The phone itself doesn't have a home button, instead you simply slide your finger up from the bottom of the screen to unveil you home screen, reminiscent iOS’ notification centre, but reversed. This then reveals the phone's lock screen, swipe a little further and you'll find the home screen.

It's an interesting decision from RIM, and after a couple of minutes you'll swiping back and fourth like nobodies business. According to RIM, the design is intended to break the current home button paradigm; whereby smartphone users are forever having to navigate through their phone’s features and functions via the clunky home button.

Hardware

On the hardware front the Z10 is a good looking phone, and it's no coincidence that it looks strikingly similar to the iPhone 5, if a little larger; as the Z10 is 0.35 inches thick whereas the iPhone is 0.30 thick.

The Z10 has a hardwearing, rubberized rear that feels good in the hand – but it doesn't exactly feel like a premium handset compared to some of its more metallic competitors. The handset has a removable rear cover that gives you access to the micro sim, microSD and removable battery.

The screen is a bright and extremely sharp 4.2-inch LCD, with an impressive 1280×786 resolution – way beyond Apple's current Retina display, though we expect them to go one better when they release the 5S later this year.

The snappy OS is powered via a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, with a healthy 2GB of RAM to keep the phones software quick and responsive, As well as a decent processor and RAM, the Z10 is also sporting 4G LTE connectivity.

"¨"¨The Blackberry Hub

The big selling point for BB10 is the new Hub, the basic principle behind the Hub is instead of switching between apps to deal with email, tweets, message or calls, the Hub consolidates all of them into one giant inbox stream. The Hub is a ever-present feature, always running the background and can be called up from any app by swiping from either side of the screen, much like the Facebook iOS app. If you swipe up you minimise your current app into the Active Frames, where minimised apps go in a neat tile formation – basically it’s RIM’s answer to multi-tasking, and on the face of it works very well.

Blackberry Messenger 2.0

Blackberry 10 comes with a new and improved Blackberry Messenger, which has been given several upgrades over the current version. Messenger now includes video chat and screen sharing, the latter allows you to call up another users' screen via BBM to share notes, files, or just to simply just look at their screen. One "¨"¨Huge limitation, though, is that video chats and screen sharing will be limited to BB10 phones only.

A Camera To Be Proud Of, Finally 

Like most smartphones, but unlike most Blackberrys, the Z10 has two high-end cameras: an 8-megapixel snapper on the rear and a fairly run-of-the-mill front-facing 2-megapixel. The rear camera is capable of 1080p video recording, whilst the rear can capture 720p video.

Feature-wise the rear camera doesn't offer any form of panoramic feature, but does have a clever time shift feature whereby you swipe a circle to track back in time to select the person's best face. Elsewhere, there’s Blackberry Storymaker, this feature allows users to splice music, videos and pictures into digital story book comprised of content you’ve taken on your phone – it's a bit like iLife, if a little sparser.

Apps, Apps… Apps?

No discussion of a new operating system is complete without discussing apps. There are, at the final count, some 80,000 apps currently on Blackberry World (the new Blackberry app store), but there's still some glaring omissions, for example there's no Netflix and no eBay - but you do get stallwarts like Angry Birds, Twitter, Facebook and many others. Basically the app support is flakey at best, and is way behind what you’d get on Android and iOS.

Blackberry Balance

Blackberry's other major selling point is Blackberry Balance, a clever solution for those of you who have a work phone and a personal phone. Balance works by separating you work and personal life via a simple button press.  RIM has engineered this feature at the chip level, and it says it’s physically impossible to transfer data between the two profiles. "¨"¨Nonetheless, a Balance-enabled Z10 has just one phone number, and you’ll never miss a single notification from either profile as all your email, texts and notifications still consolidate into the hub.

Conclusion

RIM has done a lot of good work with BB10 - it brings the best of Android, the now deceased WebOS and iOS together into one neat package, that is squarely aimed at business users who want the best of both worlds; a bullet-proof business experience alongside a cool and stylish apps-based consumer experience.

Our main concern is the whole system comes with a rather steep learning curve and is almost certainly never going to satisfy iOS users who love the simplicity of Apple's offering.

Like Windows Phone, Blackberry 10 will face the same issues that Microsoft has faced. There aren't enough apps to tempt consumers away from Android and iOS, and there aren't enough consumers to tempt app developers to make BB10 apps as a priority. Only time will tell if Blackberry can turn this around, but we have our doubts they’ll be able to do it fast enough to satisfy the most die-hard app fans and early adopters.

The post Blackberry 10 & Z10 Smartphone Hands-On Review first appeared on UK Gadget and Tech News, Reviews and Shopping.