TechSpothttps://www.techspot.comTechSpot News - All Storieshttps://www.techspot.com/images/techspot-rss-logo-small2.pngTechSpothttps://www.techspot.comen-usCopyright 2026 TechSpot, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.<![CDATA[Windows is finally killing off the Control Panel]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 11:36 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111981-microsoft-engineer-confirms-plans-kill-off-windows-control.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111981-microsoft-engineer-confirms-plans-kill-off-windows-control.html
Speaking to Windows users on X this week, Microsoft's Director of Design, March Rogers, said the company is working to address several UI issues across Windows 11. To that end, all settings options are being consolidated in a single location, ensuring users will no longer need to switch between the...

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]]><![CDATA[Google adds search to Play Store reviews to improve app discovery]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 11:12 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111979-google-adds-search-play-store-reviews-improve-app.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111979-google-adds-search-play-store-reviews-improve-app.html
The feature is now rolling out as part of the latest Play Store update, version 50.7.24-31. Google recently confirmed the release through its official support documentation, following months of limited testing.

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]]><![CDATA[Amazon and USPS reach new shipping deal that keeps most package volume intact]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 10:31 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111977-amazon-usps-reach-new-shipping-deal-keeps-most.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111977-amazon-usps-reach-new-shipping-deal-keeps-most.html
For the Postal Service, which reported a $9 billion net loss last year, the deal averts what could have been a serious revenue shock. Amazon accounts for nearly 15% of USPS package deliveries nationwide, translating to about $6 billion annually. Any major pullback by the tech company – which already...

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]]><![CDATA[Java 26 arrives with performance gains, security upgrades]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 10:18 -0500https://www.techspot.com/downloads/7857-java-26.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/downloads/7857-java-26.html

Java 26 is here with fresh language features, faster performance, stronger security, and a wave of library and tooling upgrades. Early developer reaction has been upbeat, with many praising Java's steady pace of meaningful improvements.



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]]><![CDATA[Apple's foldable iPhone might be delayed, or almost ready]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 09:37 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111975-conflicting-reports-cast-doubt-apple-foldable-iphone-launch.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111975-conflicting-reports-cast-doubt-apple-foldable-iphone-launch.html
Nikkei Asia reported that Apple has encountered unexpected setbacks during the engineering test phase of its first foldable iPhone, raising the possibility of production delays. Sources familiar with the matter told the publication that the early test production phase has thrown up more problems than anticipated and will require extra...

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]]><![CDATA[H.264 streaming fees jump from $100,000 to $4.5 million a year under new licensing terms]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 08:22 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111971-h264-licensing-fees-could-jump-100k-45m-streaming.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111971-h264-licensing-fees-could-jump-100k-45m-streaming.html
H.264 has so far carried a flat annual cap of $100,000 for large subscription platforms. That may sound like a lot, but for these companies, the numbers are so small that most of them probably forgot it even existed on their balance sheet. Well, that comfortable arrangement just got a...

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]]><![CDATA[13 shots fired at Indianapolis councilman's home after backing $500 million data center]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 07:46 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111978-13-shots-fired-indianapolis-councilman-home-after-supported.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111978-13-shots-fired-indianapolis-councilman-home-after-supported.html
Indianapolis City-County Council member Ron Gibson, a Democrat who has held his position since 2023, recently expressed support for rezoning related to a proposed $500 million data center project. Two large buildings, from Los Angeles-based startup Metrobloks, will be built on a 14-acre site located in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood of...

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]]><![CDATA[Intel joins Nvidia in pushing neural texture compression, can shrink game assets by up to 18x]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 07:03 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111970-intel-new-ai-compression-tech-can-significantly-shrink.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111970-intel-new-ai-compression-tech-can-significantly-shrink.html
TSNC is being positioned as a practical path for developers who already ship BC-compressed assets and want to squeeze more data into the same storage, bandwidth, or VRAM budgets without rethinking their pipelines.

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]]><![CDATA[81-year-old Dodgers fan shut out by smartphone-only season tickets]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 06:15 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111976-81-year-old-la-dodgers-fan-shut-out.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111976-81-year-old-la-dodgers-fan-shut-out.html
Errol Segal has been a LA Dodgers season ticket holder for over 50 years, but that run has come to an end as the team transitions to all-digital for season tickets.

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]]><![CDATA[Intel isn't done with Raptor Lake, will keep 14th-gen chips in production]]>Tue, 7 Apr 2026 05:15 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111972-intel-confirms-14th-gen-raptor-lake-cpus-lga1700.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111972-intel-confirms-14th-gen-raptor-lake-cpus-lga1700.html
Robert Hallock, Intel's vice president and general manager of client segment technical marketing, confirmed in an interview with Club386 that the Raptor Lake lineup remains "a big part" of Intel's client segment strategy and will stay in production alongside newer chips.

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]]><![CDATA[AI is now taking over game servers, and Stormgate is the first casualty]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 16:26 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111969-stormgate-servers-go-dark-following-ai-focused-hosting.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111969-stormgate-servers-go-dark-following-ai-focused-hosting.html
Stormgate, a free-to-play, StarCraft-style RTS developed by Frost Giant Studios, relies on a third-party "game server orchestration partner" to run its online modes. Frost Giant told players on Discord that the provider had been acquired by an AI company, forcing a planned outage that will take Stormgate's multiplayer modes offline...

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]]><![CDATA[Russia's attempt to block VPNs is causing widespread banking outages]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 15:31 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111968-russia-efforts-block-vpns-cause-widespread-banking-glitches.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111968-russia-efforts-block-vpns-cause-widespread-banking-glitches.html
According to Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, the Kremlin's increasing efforts to control and censor the global internet are causing widespread problems for Russian users. The Russian-born entrepreneur confirmed that Telegram is now banned in the country, yet more than 50 million Russians continue to use it daily via VPNs.

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]]><![CDATA[Microsoft now has 80 different "Copilot" products, and counting]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 13:39 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111967-someone-tallied-all-microsoft-copilot-products-there-80.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111967-someone-tallied-all-microsoft-copilot-products-there-80.html
An enthusiast has discovered that there are now a staggering 80 distinct Microsoft products carrying the name "Copilot" and perhaps even more. That figure comes from Tey Bannerman, an AI strategy and design consultant, who undertook the challenging – but rewarding – task of counting all the Copilot products now...

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]]><![CDATA[Windows 11 will be force-updated to version 25H2 using machine learning]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 12:58 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111964-microsoft-going-force-update-windows-11-version-25h2.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111964-microsoft-going-force-update-windows-11-version-25h2.html
According to Microsoft's latest timeline, Windows 11 25H2 will soon be rolled out to all devices running the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 24H2. The latter is set to reach the end of official support on October 13, 2026, and Redmond is clearly aiming to move as many...

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]]><![CDATA[Netflix's Void AI can remove objects from video and show how scenes evolve without them]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 12:14 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111966-netflix-void-ai-model-removes-objects-videos-predicts.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111966-netflix-void-ai-model-removes-objects-videos-predicts.html
Short for Video Object and Interaction Deletion, the model can effectively delete an object from a scene and adjust for its absence.

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]]><![CDATA[World's largest battery maker is taking EV tech to the seas]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 11:33 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111963-world-largest-battery-maker-taking-ev-tech-seas.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111963-world-largest-battery-maker-taking-ev-tech-seas.html
The company, which commands 37% of the global electric vehicle battery market and 22% of the energy storage segment, has already equipped roughly 900 ships with its batteries. Most of these are small, nearshore vessels that operate along China's coastlines, at ports, or on inland waterways.

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]]><![CDATA[Samsung may add a "Pro" model to Galaxy S lineup, matching Apple's strategy]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 10:27 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111965-samsung-may-add-pro-model-galaxy-s-lineup.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111965-samsung-may-add-pro-model-galaxy-s-lineup.html
Citing unnamed industry sources, South Korean outlet ETNews reports that the Pro model would slot between the Plus and the Ultra in the upcoming S27 series, effectively becoming the second-most premium option. It is expected to inherit much of the Ultra's feature set, including Samsung's new Privacy Display technology, which...

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]]><![CDATA[Target puts customers on the hook for AI shopping assistant errors]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 09:43 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111962-target-puts-customers-hook-ai-shopping-assistant-errors.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111962-target-puts-customers-hook-ai-shopping-assistant-errors.html
Target is one of many retailers jumping on the AI bandwagon by introducing an assistant that can suggest products and complete purchases for customers. The pitch is convenience: less browsing, fewer clicks, and an easier way to fill a cart. The risk is that shoppers may end up handing over...

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]]><![CDATA[New 3D-printed microrobot mimics worm-like motion at microscopic scale]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 09:04 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111956-new-3d-printed-microrobot-mimics-worm-like-motion.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111956-new-3d-printed-microrobot-mimics-worm-like-motion.html
In a recently published study, the Dutch team describes an unexpected behavior observed in a 3D-printed microstructure. The "robot" consists of a flexible chain of self-propelling elements, each smaller than the width of a human hair. When exposed to an electric field, the structure begins to move on its own,...

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]]><![CDATA[Florida school to deploy security drones designed to stop school shooters mid-attack]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 08:22 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111961-florida-school-deploy-security-drones-designed-stop-school.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111961-florida-school-deploy-security-drones-designed-stop-school.html
The deployment marks a new test of drone-based security technology in US schools. Backed by more than $500,000 in state funding, Florida and Georgia are rolling out Mithril's technology as part of broader school safety initiatives. The goal, company executives say, is speed. Pilots operating from Mithril's Austin headquarters could...

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]]><![CDATA[Samsung Messages is officially on the way out, pushing users to Google Messages]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 07:46 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111960-samsung-shutting-down-samsung-messages-pushing-users-google.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111960-samsung-shutting-down-samsung-messages-pushing-users-google.html
The confirmation comes from an End-of-Service notice on Samsung's US website, which says the app will be discontinued in July 2026. It advises users to move to Google Messages to maintain a consistent Android messaging experience.

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]]><![CDATA[Japan's Rapidus ramps up 2nm chip plans while eyeing factories on the Moon]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 07:03 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111959-japan-rapidus-ramps-up-2-nm-chip-plans.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111959-japan-rapidus-ramps-up-2-nm-chip-plans.html
Rapidus' first plant, IIM-1 in Chitose, Hokkaido, has shifted from a construction site to a pilot line. In mid-2025, the company had activated the cleanroom, installed extreme ultraviolet tools, and began running test wafers through a two-nanometer gate-all-around process developed with IBM.

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]]><![CDATA[Iran threatens to "annihilate" Stargate AI data center backed by OpenAI and Nvidia]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 06:15 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111957-iran-threatens-openai-backed-stargate-ai-data-center.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111957-iran-threatens-openai-backed-stargate-ai-data-center.html
The IRGC released a video vowing retaliatory measures should the US attack its power facilities. Spokesperson Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari said the actions would entail "complete and utter annihilation" of power plants, energy infrastructure, and IT and communications facilities belonging to Israel and to companies with American shareholders.

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]]><![CDATA[Banks chasing SpaceX IPO were told by Elon Musk to buy Grok subscriptions]]>Mon, 6 Apr 2026 05:18 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111958-banks-chasing-spacex-ipo-told-elon-musk-buy.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111958-banks-chasing-spacex-ipo-told-elon-musk-buy.html
Four people familiar with the matter told The New York Times that Musk is requiring banks, law firms, auditors, and other advisers on the IPO to buy subscriptions to Grok. Some of the banks have agreed to spend tens of millions of dollars on the AI and have begun integrating...

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]]><![CDATA[This Android phone can run Windows games locally, no PC required]]>Sun, 5 Apr 2026 14:38 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111953-android-phone-can-run-windows-games-locally-no.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111953-android-phone-can-run-windows-games-locally-no.html
In a recent video, creator ETA Prime showcases Red Magic's phone running multiple Windows games directly on Android. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC, paired with 24GB of LPDDR5T memory and 1TB of UFS 4.1 Pro storage.

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]]><![CDATA[Nvidia shows neural compression can cut VRAM usage from 6.5GB to 970MB]]>Sun, 5 Apr 2026 11:44 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111954-nvidia-shows-neural-compression-can-cut-vram-usage.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111954-nvidia-shows-neural-compression-can-cut-vram-usage.html
Consider Nvidia's work on Neural Texture Compression (NTC). In its "Tuscan Wheels" demo, the company showed VRAM usage dropping from roughly 6.5GB with traditional BCN-compressed textures to 970MB using NTC, while keeping image quality close to the original.

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]]><![CDATA[A new OnlyOffice fork is Europe's answer to Microsoft Office]]>Sun, 5 Apr 2026 11:03 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111952-new-onlyoffice-fork-europe-answer-microsoft-office.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111952-new-onlyoffice-fork-europe-answer-microsoft-office.html
Developed by a consortium including Nextcloud, Ionos, and Proton, Euro-Office builds directly on the open-source OnlyOffice codebase. It offers a word processor, spreadsheet editor, presentation tool, and PDF editor, all supporting Microsoft formats (docx, pptx, xlsx) and open standards such as ODF. Its preview version is already available on GitHub,...

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]]><![CDATA[Sony quietly removes PC mentions from PlayStation Studios pages]]>Sun, 5 Apr 2026 10:05 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111950-sony-quietly-removes-pc-mentions-playstation-studios-pages.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111950-sony-quietly-removes-pc-mentions-playstation-studios-pages.html
On PlayStation Studios' official site, Sony has updated the main banner to prominently feature Ghost of Yotei and Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, while Demon's Souls Remake no longer appears in the lineup.

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]]><![CDATA[Italian court says Netflix must refund customers up to $576 over price hikes]]>Sun, 5 Apr 2026 08:22 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111955-italian-court-netflix-must-refund-customers-up-576.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111955-italian-court-netflix-must-refund-customers-up-576.html
An injunction action brought by consumer group Movimento Consumatori against Netflix Italia's price increases has been upheld by the Court of Rome.

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]]><![CDATA[This Wi-Fi receiver can work inside a nuclear reactor, keeping robots connected]]>Sat, 4 Apr 2026 15:12 -0500https://www.techspot.com/news/111948-wi-fi-receiver-can-work-inside-nuclear-reactor.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/111948-wi-fi-receiver-can-work-inside-nuclear-reactor.html
The research, presented at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco earlier this year, shows the receiver can continue operating after exposure to 500 kilograys of radiation. That level of endurance far exceeds what even space-grade electronics are designed to handle.

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