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Meta's $1,299 VR Glasses combine 5K displays, AI, gesture controls and virtual desktops in a lighter headset powered by a separate compute puck.

The post Meta Unveils $1,300 VR Glasses With AI, Eye Tracking and Virtual Workspaces appeared first on TechRepublic.

I've recently been re-watching Star Trek: The Original Series on DVD - you know the ones, in the colored clamshell cases with unaltered special effects. Just as Kirk intended. That got me thinking about how to bring the Enterprise into my workspace. Because despite the rumors, tech journalists aren't exploring life beyond our own solar system nearly as often as you'd think.

Now, I can't afford to rebuild my office into an exact replica of the bridge of the Enterprise (my wife simply won't allow it, unfortunately). But what I can do is find some cool Star Trek home office gear that at least lets us pretend we're boldly going where no one has gone before, even when we're just replying to emails from the captain boss.

Starfleet-approved home office gear

FAMETEK Star Trek TNG USS Enterprise Bluetooth Speaker

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild Star Trek Transporter Heat Transforming Mug

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild Star Trek Sticky Notes Booklet

Open Road Brands Star Trek Starship Chart Silver Metal Sign

VINYL REVOLT Art Home Room

Star Trek: The Next Generation 2-set tumblers

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild Star Trek Memo Pad

Star Trek Desk Lamp

Silver Buffalo Star Trek NCC-1701 Fleece Throw Blanket

GRAPHICS & MORE Star Trek United Federation of Planets Coaster Set

The Unemployed Philosophers Guild Trek Captain's Log Large Notebook

GRAPHICS & MORE Star Trek United Federation of Planets Chrome Plated Metal Envelope

GRAPHICS & MORE Star Trek Starfleet Command Mouse Pad

Bomb Pop Boutique Desk Organizer

Numskull Accessory Locker & Storage Stand

UHURU Wireless Gaming Mouse

Workman Publishing Star Trek: Light-And-Sound Communicator

Entertainment Earth Klingon Insignia Chair Capes

The EU and Philippines are nearing a trade pact that could reshape digital commerce, cloud access, and public-sector tech procurement.

The post EU-Philippines Trade Deal Nears Final Agreement, but Key Digital Rules Remain Unpublished appeared first on TechRepublic.

Googlebook, Galaxy Book, Chromebook Plus, and Windows laptops take different approaches to Android apps, file sharing, messages, calls, and phone continuity.

The post Best Laptops for Android Users in 2026: Googlebook, Galaxy Book and More appeared first on TechRepublic.

• A new PlayStation Portal software update has been released
• The update introduces a new 80% default charging limit to ensure the device's long-term battery health
• Players can increase the limit manually, but Sony advises against it

Sony has rolled out a new PlayStation Portal software update to improve stability and support the device's long-term battery health.

As detailed in the version 7.1.7 patch notes, the update "introduces changes to how your PS Portal charges in order to support the long-term battery health of your device" and means that it will now charge to just 80% by default.

While 80% is the default limit, users can increase the cap at any time in Settings > System > Battery; however, Song strongly recommends the alternative as it could impact the PS Portal's longevity.

"Selecting a charge limit over 80% might impact battery performance and overall stability, reducing long-term battery health," the patch notes.

It's reasonable to want to charge your device to 100% every time the battery depletes, but Sony's new default charge limit sounds like a great solution if you want to keep your PS Portal in good shape for a long time.

The full version 7.1.7 patch notes can be read below.

• This update introduces changes to how your PS Portal charges in order to support the long-term battery health of your device. After updating, your device will charge to 80% by default. You can change the charge limit at any time in Settings > System > Battery.
  • Selecting a charge limit over 80% might impact battery performance and overall stability, reducing long-term battery health.
• Make sure to update your PlayStation Link device to the latest device software version to connect to PlayStation Portal.
  • To update your PlayStation Link device, connect it to a PS5 or PC using its PlayStation Link USB adapter. For more details visit the guides below.
• We've improved system software performance and stability
• We've improved the messages and usability on some screens

Trump and Xi's U.S. summit continues after a state dinner Thursday night. And, Netanyahu returns to Israel after giving a defensive and defiant speech at the U.N. General Assembly.

(Image credit: Mark Schiefelbein)

OpenAI launched GPT-6 Sol and Luna with lower API prices, cheaper caching and stronger coding results aimed at reducing the cost of AI agents.

The post GPT-6 Sol and Luna: What OpenAI’s Cheaper Models Mean for AI Agents appeared first on TechRepublic.

Five AirPods Pro 3 alternatives from Sony, Bose, Samsung, CMF, and Sennheiser compete on ANC, battery life, Android support, comfort, and price.

The post 5 Best AirPods Pro 3 Alternatives for 2026 appeared first on TechRepublic.

Mew ex, Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration'/>

How does one price a cemetery plot? Are they using dynamic pricing to figure it out? We tackle that question and many more in this week's Indicator newsletter.

(Image credit: Pokémon/Nintendo/Creatures/GAME FREAK.)

The best Android video editing apps for 2026 include Adobe Premiere, CapCut, LumaFusion, PowerDirector, and KineMaster for different editing needs.

The post Best Video Editing Apps for Android in 2026: Premiere, CapCut, LumaFusion and More appeared first on TechRepublic.

Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 could bring faster performance, more on-device AI, better gaming, and upgraded cameras to 2027 Android phones.

The post Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6: What Qualcomm’s 5GHz Chip Means for 2027 Android Phones appeared first on TechRepublic.

Middle East crises in focus as U.N. General Assembly hears from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Yemen.

(Image credit: Seth Wenig)

• Gemini 3.8 Live now includes custom avatars to go with the AI's voice
• Avatars could be used for customer service, training and more
• Gemini 3.8 Live can switch between 97 languages automatically

Google has lifted the wraps of its latest Gemini 3.8 Live model, and with it come avatars you can select to make it feel more like you're speaking to a human. Sort of.

It's all possible through a combination of Gemini's real-time speech capabilities and low-latency video generation, so it looks like your chosen avatar is effectively lip-syncing to the text that Gemini is reading out to you.

Research scientist Shuo-yiin Chang and software engineer CJ Zheng said it now feels like AI has a much more "visual presence" - so that's...nice?

Gemini now takes on the body of your chosen avatar with Gemini 3.8 Live

Avatars are designed specifically for enterprise users, but rather than company employees talking to an avatar to get their work done, Google sees it more as showing off what's possible for its customers' end users. In other words, avatars could be used for customer service, receptionists, training and more.

From launch, businesses will be able to select from a library of preset avatars, but they can also create custom avatars to fit a company's branding, for example with a relevant logo on its uniform.

On the safety front, Google asserts that videos of its avatars include SynthID watermarking to verify that they are indeed AI-generated. "This imperceptible watermark is woven directly into the audio and video output, helping to ensure AI-generated content remains detectable to help minimise misinformation and misattribution," the company wrote.

In a separate post, Google also revealed that Gemini 3.8 Live can now support 97 languages and automatic language switching to make multilingual conversations more seamless. A more hardcore version of that model, 3.8 Live Extended Thinking, outperformed GPT-Live-1 Astra and Grok Voice Think Fast 2.0 across multiple benchmarks while still ending up cheaper to run per hour of input audio.

Meta previews Muse Charm, a pocket-size AI device with cameras and 5G, as the company tests how dedicated AI hardware could fit into everyday phone use.

The post Meta Previews Muse Charm: What You Could Do With This AI Device on the Go appeared first on TechRepublic.

Apple Watch Series 12 and Galaxy Watch9 are close in price, but phone compatibility, health tools, battery life, and AI separate the two.

The post Apple Watch Series 12 vs Galaxy Watch9: Which $400 Smartwatch Should You Buy? appeared first on TechRepublic.

You can never have too many charging cords, especially when you can nab a bunch for cheap.

• A new trailer has been released for DC Studios' Clayface
• The body horror movie will take shape in theaters worldwide this October
• It features a really cool Easter egg that's renewed hope over a Batman cameo

DC Studios has release one final trailer for Clayface — and it contains a specific Batman reference that's set tongues wagging among comic book fans.

Revealed yesterday (September 24), the movie's latest teaser offers a fresh look at its body horror vibes, slick cinematography, and Matt Hagen's tragic villain origin story. Thankfully, the DC Universe (DCU) film's latest round of footage doesn't reveal the titular character's final, grotesque form, meaning audiences will have to check it out in theaters if they want to see Clayface in all of his gruesome, malleable glory.

The comic book flick's new trailer arrives five months after Clayface's first "super freaky" teaser. Two months later, Clayface trailer #2 was unleashed upon the world and left fans with many, many questions — the most pressing of which was whether the shapeshifting villain's primary foe Batman would appear.

Even if the Caped Crusader does show up in the DCU Chapter One movie, Clayface's cast and crew are doing their best not to give away what would be one of the film's biggest surprises. That said, fans have spotted a very specific Batman Easter egg in Clayface's final trailer that's sparked new hope that the Gotham City-based vigilante will make an appearance — even if it's just as a silhouetted cameo — in the James Watkins-directed feature.

Why a musical motif in the new Clayface trailer has excited Batman and DC Comics fans alikeComment from r/DC_Cinematic

So, what's this big Batman reference that some DC fans noticed in Clayface's newest teaser? Skip to the 1:30 mark of the trailer and you might recognize a very familiar motif that plays as the forthcoming film's title card appears on the screen.

Batman fanatics won't need me to explain this Easter egg to them. For those not in the know, though, the brief musical snippet we hear is an exact replica of Clayface's theme from fan-favorite 1990s TV show Batman: The Animated Series (B:TAS), which you can watch right now on HBO Max.

Now, this doesn't give any indication that the Dark Knight will have a walk-on part in DC Studios' next big-screen offering. After all, despite reports that studio co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran have cast an unlikely star as the DCU's Batman, the pair have consistently denied that anyone has been hired to play Bruce Wayne and his superhero alter-ego in their nascent cinematic franchise.

Nevertheless, the use of Clayface's theme from B:TAS has captured some fans' imagination — and with good reason. Clayface's story is heavily inspired by 'Feat of Clay', a two-part tale from B:TAS that's viewed as some of the best storytelling in the beloved cartoon's four-season run.

If nothing else, fans are excited about this musical nugget because, if Clayface is half as good as 'Feat of Clay' is, it could be the best DCU movie so far. Throw a Batman cameo into the mix, though, and it'll generate even more headlines than many of us expected when it's released on October 23.

For more on the upcoming comic book film, find out everything else we know so far about Clayface.

• GrapheneOS will work with the Motorola Signature 27
• This will be the first non-Pixel phone to support the operating system
• Some future Motorola phones are also expected to support it

It must be very difficult for a mobile operating system to tempt users away from Android or iOS, but on a small scale at least GrapheneOS seems to be doing so — and it’s now a little bit easier to get ahold of.

You see, this privacy-focused operating system that’s been built on top of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), was previously limited to Pixel phones — which is somewhat ironic given it’s likely to appeal to people who want to escape Google’s grasp. But now it’s finally coming to a Motorola phone too.

The device in question is the newly launched Motorola Signature 27. This is a high-end handset, powered by the brand-new Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chipset — making it even more powerful than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series. It also has a 6.8-inch screen and four rear cameras, so this is set to compete with the absolute best Android phones.

But unlike most of those rivals, you’ll be able to install GrapheneOS on it, as confirmed by the GrapheneOS X account. In fact, you might not even need to install it, as versions of the handset that ship with GrapheneOS pre-installed in place of Android are apparently planned too.

However, it’s unclear when that will be, or even when the Motorola Signature 27 will ship at all — though Motorola’s US site says to expect it sometime in November.

The GrapheneOS App Store (Image credit: Future // Rob Dunne)Hopefully the first of many

Whenever it does land it’s sure to be expensive (though pricing hasn’t yet been announced), but the GrapheneOS team have spoken about bringing its operating system to some future Motorola phones too, including possibly some lower end ones.

That said, there are some issues to solve, with the team previously saying (via Android Police) that “it's mostly due to how Qualcomm handles it. The latest Snapdragon flagships have the best security features. We'll also need Motorola to start paying them for longer updates below flagships."

So in other words it sounds like the use of this new chipset, alongside long-term software support, is why the operating system is being brought to the Motorola Signature 27 specifically.

Still, it’s nice to see GrapheneOS become at least slightly more widely available, and perhaps if previous chipsets were an issue, we might start seeing it brought to other Android brands once they launch phones with Qualcomm’s new silicon.

This is probably never going to be a truly mainstream OS, but by combining most of the familiarity of Android (including access to the Google Play Store if you choose to install it), with increased privacy and security features — particularly when it comes to what data is shared with Google and apps — it’s a very promising alternative to the big names for more privacy-conscious users.

Parenthood can be overwhelming. A therapist and mom of three shares techniques to help calibrate your emotions — so you can show up better for yourself and your family.

Plus: It's a very special week! But which one?