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Wed, Feb 25, 2026, 1:21 PM EST

Tech

AI Summary

  • Google's Gemini is expanding its capabilities, now able to automate multi-step tasks on Android and even book rides and order food, signaling a move towards more agentic AI.
  • The AI chip market is heating up with Nvidia facing increased competition as startups like MatX raise significant funding, and Wayve securing a substantial $1.2 billion investment.
  • Samsung's latest Galaxy S26 series launch highlights a trend of iterative hardware improvements, with a focus on AI integration and new software features like enhanced privacy displays.
  • Concerns around AI ethics and safety persist, with news of AI being used for emotional support among teens, a hacker exploiting a chatbot for malicious purposes, and ongoing discussions about AI consciousness.
  • The tech industry is seeing consolidation and strategic investments, exemplified by Harbinger's acquisition of Phantom AI and Meta's chip deals with AMD, alongside ongoing regulatory scrutiny on data sovereignty and age verification.

TechCrunch


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. Galaxy S25: What’s changed and which one should you buy? 30 minutes ago by Georgie Peru
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Georgie Peru

    Following Samsung’s Unpacked event, the Samsung Galaxy S26 is available for pre-order, and it looks very familiar. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Like recent updates in the Galaxy S line, Samsung is refining its flagship rather than dramatically reinventing it. Both phones share a lot of core DNA, including compact designs, high-refresh AMOLED displays and similar camera hardware. The S26 does introduce a handful of meaningful updates, however, including a slightly larger battery and newer software out of the box. Those changes also come with a higher starting price: the Galaxy S26 begins at $899.99 compared to the S25’s

  • Samsung Galaxy S26 vs. S26+ vs. S26 Ultra: Comparing the three new phones 34 minutes ago by Georgie Peru
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Georgie Peru

    Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the company is once again leaning heavily on AI, camera upgrades and refined hardware to move the lineup forward. While the overall design remains familiar, there are some meaningful differences between the three models, particularly when it comes to display tech, charging speeds and camera hardware. Across the board, the S26 family is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip and runs Android 16 with One UI 8.5. Samsung is also doubling down on Galaxy AI features like Now Brief, Now Nudge and

  • How to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S26 phones and Galaxy Buds 4 40 minutes ago by Amy Skorheim
    Technology & Electronics, Handheld & Connected Devices, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Amy Skorheim

    During its Unpacked event today, Samsung announced three new Galaxy S-series phones as well as the latest generation of its earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. Pre-orders are now open and the new devices are set to ship March 11. As expected, this year’s models aren’t drastically different from last year’s, but all the phones are equipped to better handle the Galaxy AI experiences such as Now Nudge that offers suggestions based on your activities and a more conversational assitant in Bixby (or Gemini or Perplexity depending on your preferance). Engadget’s own Sam Rutherford is on-site in

  • Google announces new Android AI features coming to the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10 series 44 minutes ago by Andre Revilla
    Software, Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Andre Revilla

    Google unveiled a new batch of Android updates, including more Gemini-powered tools and improved scam detection features at Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch on Wednesday. A new feature in the Gemini app will let users hand off multi-step tasks, like ordering a rideshare or building a grocery cart. The feature, which will first arrive in beta, runs in the background while users perform other tasks. Gemini's progress can be monitored live via notifications, so users can see what it's doing and jump in at any time. Google Google says this feature will initially be limited to certain food, grocery or rideshare apps. It will

  • Samsung Galaxy S26 hands-on: A lot more of the same for a little more money an hour ago by Mat Smith
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mat Smith

    As we prepare to leave the winter months, Samsung announced another family of Galaxy S flagships for those looking to upgrade. As usual, the company put its best components and features into the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but it also added more to the base S26 and S26+. The company has hit its groove with its smaller (and cheaper) flagships, delivering solid devices with increasingly better cameras, occasionally even offering feature parity with its most expensive smartphone. In 2026, that’s what we’re getting, with the 6.3-inch S26 ($899) and 6.7-inch S26+ ($1,099). Both phones are more expensive than last year, and it’s


The Verge

  • Kalshi says it fined a MrBeast editor and a politician for insider trading 24 minutes ago by Emma Roth
    Apps, News, Policy, Tech

    Kalshi, the prediction betting market, has disclosed its first fines for insider trading, as reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal. In addition to handing down a $20,000 fine to a MrBeast editor, Kalshi also charged a California gubernatorial candidate over $2,000 after a video on X "appeared to show him trading on his own candidacy." In a notice on Wednesday, Kalshi claims MrBeast editor Artem Kaptur traded about $4,000 on YouTube streaming markets, violating its insider trading rules. "Our surveillance systems flagged his near-perfect trading success on markets with low odds, which were statistically anomalous," Bobby DeNault, legal … Read the

  • Gemini is getting its first agentic capabilities an hour ago by Allison Johnson
    AI, Android, Google, News, Samsung, Tech

    Gemini can now prep a rideshare or grocery order, though you’ll have to submit the order yourself. | Image: Google Google's Gemini AI is getting one step closer to being more like an actual assistant. Starting with some Pixel 10 phones and the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, Gemini will be able to hail an Uber or put together a DoorDash order on its own. It's called task automation, and it starts with a prompt to Gemini - something like "Get me an Uber to the Palace of Fine Arts." Gemini then launches the app in a virtual window on your device and

  • The Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus are more of the same for more money an hour ago by Allison Johnson
    Hands-on, Mobile, Reviews, Tech

    The S26 Plus (left) and S26 (right) are mostly software updates. There's a cool new hardware feature debuting at Samsung's annual Unpacked event - but you won't find it on the Galaxy S26 or S26 Plus. While the Ultra model gets a new Privacy Display and avoids a price hike, Samsung's base models are largely software updates that cost more than the outgoing models. Don't get me wrong, some of those software updates are pretty neat. You can apply Audio Eraser to third-party apps to make voices easier to hear and filter out background noise. Google's Gemini AI will start doing agentic

  • I’m super impressed with the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s new Privacy Display an hour ago by Allison Johnson
    Gadgets, Hands-on, Mobile, News, Reviews, Samsung, Tech

    It’s kind of a Galaxy S26 Plus Plus. Maybe it's a reflection of just how slow hardware innovation has been, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra's new Privacy Display, which limits the screen's viewing angle to keep any would-be peepers away, left me totally impressed. It's not a brand-new technology - we've seen it before in laptops - and it was leaked thoroughly before Samsung's announcement. But seeing it work on the S26 Ultra for the first time was cooler than I expected, especially given that hardware thrills are hard to get these days. It's not just one of those special screen protectors; you

  • Samsung’s still chasing the AirPods with its new Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro an hour ago by John.Higgins
    Gadgets, Headphones, News, Samsung, Tech

    The Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro (pictured) bring an updated look and some iterative changes. The next Galaxy Buds have been announced, and Samsung again mimics Apple in design, ecosystem functionality, and pricing. The Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro keep the AirPods-esque design of the Buds 3, but now have a flat metal surface along the stem's exterior. The regular buds use a single 11mm dynamic speaker and do not have silicone ear tips, while the Buds 4 Pro have a selection of silicone ear tips and a two-way design (meaning a woofer for lower frequencies and a


Wired


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