That little orange button can do a lot more than start your next workout.
If you’re serious about running, hiking, weightlifting or other high-energy activities, the Apple Watch Ultra 4 is easy to recommend. At $800, it is a commitment — but that’s surprisingly reasonable compared to other fitness and adventure watches, and the benefits over a regular Apple Watch aren’t trivial. It’s bigger, tougher and lasts up to 50 hours on a charge, whereas a Series 12 has to be topped up every day. Combined with its satellite features and GPS accuracy, it might legitimately save your life on a wilderness trek.
An Ultra difference that Apple tends to downplay these days is the action button. It’s an orange button next to the speaker grille, used as a quick shortcut for commands that other Watch owners have to tap through menus or complications to reach. It can also activate the watch’s emergency siren, which helps attract attention if you’re lost or injured. It’s such an obvious, low-cost feature that it’s almost insulting that it’s not on Series devices, too.
There’s a broad range of commands you can assign to the button. You can only assign one at a time, but if you know what you’re doing, it can be immensely useful for anything that’s a daily habit. All the more so if you take advantage of the automation upgrades in watchOS 27 and iOS 27.
If you hold down the action button briefly, you’ll see the Quick Switch menu appear. This lets you swap the button’s single-tap function on the fly, which can be vital for some activities, particularly outdoor navigation. You’ll see what we mean in a moment.
The most straightforward options are Flashlight, Voice Memo, Translate and Recognize Music. With these, you just hit the button once to start the function and again to stop it. As a side note, Recognize Music should be nearly instant on an Ultra 4, thanks to Apple’s new Audio Intelligence capabilities, which also support automatic Shazam detection.
Slightly more complex are Workout, Stopwatch and Dive. With Stopwatch, pressing the button once starts timing, and pressing it again marks a lap. Press the action and side buttons simultaneously to pause. With Dive, a regular press begins your aquatic adventures, while pressing action and side simultaneously launches an app-specific secondary function.
Similarly, Workout will either open the Workout app or immediately launch into a particular activity. You can change this by going to Settings > Action Button. Mid-session, tapping the button performs a secondary function, such as marking a segment. To pause, press action and side together.
Special attention is due to the two navigation options, Waypoint and Backtrack. The first drops waypoints visible in the Compass app and the Waypoint watchface, although some waypoints are added automatically, such as your parked car and the last available cell signal. Backtrack is also linked to the Compass app, but tapping once starts recording a precise route you can retrace later. Hitting the action and side buttons simultaneously flips between the Record and Retrace modes.
For some users, assigning the button to Accessibility might be unavoidable. This lets you trigger things like AssistiveTouch, VoiceOver and even control nearby devices. There may be a reason to use this if you’re fully able-bodied, too, so check it out.
Arguably, though, the single most powerful action is Shortcut. This is configured like Accessibility, but lets you trigger any automation you’ve built in the iPhone’s Shortcuts app. Given that these automations can stretch across multiple platforms and even control smart home accessories, there’s virtually unlimited potential. A single tap might, for example, turn on your lights, adjust your thermostat and even start playing local news on your HomePod.
The Shortcuts app can be unwieldy at times. Thankfully, a big change in iOS 27 on iPhones with Apple Intelligence is the ability to build shortcuts simply by describing what you want them to do. This greatly simplifies the process, although it’s important to double-check the results. You don’t want an “I’m driving home” routine to accidentally send an ETA to your mother-in-law instead of your partner.
It all depends on the wind.
Do home wind turbines actually work? The answer is a very reserved “yes.” With solar energy cruising into record territory, small-scale wind power for residential use tends to get lost in the sun (poor pun intended).There are several caveats, though wind power is not an altogether losing proposition. It really depends on the need and the scale of use. They even make compact turbines for powering RVs, so it also depends on your definition of “home.”
It’s important to note that a 1 kW turbine is a “peak” power measure, not necessarily what you’ll get out of it. The more useful number to look at is annual or monthly energy production, measured in kilowatt-hours. In a carefully chosen position, a 1 kW turbine could feasibly produce 200 kWh per month, or about 2,400 kWh per year. That works out to under a quarter of the average US household’s annual energy consumption.
None of this is to say that wind turbines are weak power producers — it just depends on the wind. If you live in an area with annual wind speeds averaging 14+ mph, this is something worth looking into. If not, or if windy days are sparse or even average, maybe not so much. A 1 kW system is feasible, but it’s best to look at it in terms of supplemental power for an already efficient home.
A wind turbine for a home practically requires a high average wind speed that’s consistent month-to-month. Homes with lots of trees, surrounded by other homes, behind hills or with large sheds need not apply. Not only do these obstacles block wind, but they also create turbulence, which reduces output and speeds up wear and tear on the turbine. The Department of Energy’s small wind guidance recommends placing the bottom of the rotor at least 30 feet above any obstacle within 300 horizontal feet of the tower.
That recommendation alone tells you all you need to know about placing a wind turbine in a suburban neighborhood. It’ll make for some interesting conversations at the neighbor’s house, and little more. Worse, most local zoning rules limit structures to around 35 feet, and wind turbines often require much more in order to clear nearby trees and rooftops. A rooftop installation option sounds great on paper, but it can transmit vibration and noise directly into your rooftop, a lovely side effect while trying to catch some Zs before work.
If you’re sold on wind power, look beyond your region’s wind map, check local zoning and utility rules and conduct a thorough assessment of your site’s obstacles and average wind direction. It’s also a good idea to get an installer to estimate overall production before spending your hard-earned dough.
If your home is a small, economical little cabin or a permanently parked RV, a 1kW wind turbine is certainly an option. However, it’s not enough to power a typical US home. The average household uses about 10,500 kWh of electricity per year (around 850 kWh per month), and a residential turbine in the 5 kW to 15 kW range is necessary to put a dent in that power consumption.
Cost is another reason to proceed with a bit of caution. It’ll run the average consumer between $20,000 and $50,000 to toss up a wind turbine. Installing solar panels with the same energy production in mind is roughly $2,500 to $3,500, and that’s before incentives are calculated in.
A grid-connected system typically requires an inverter as well and can offset some utility use when the wind is blowing. Off-grid systems will require batteries and a charge controller to store power. For the majority of suburban dwellers, improving insulation and tossing in some ground- or roof-mounted solar panels will provide more dependable, solid results. If you want to go the wind route, it makes the most sense in open, rural areas that have verified average wind speeds and a place to put your tower.
Apple Music is finally available directly through Bluesound’s BluOS platform, giving owners of compatible wireless speakers, network streamers, streaming amplifiers, and soundbars access to Apple’s enormous music catalog without relying on AirPlay 2. The free software update, released October 20, 2026, also extends Apple Music support to compatible BluOS products from NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, DALI, Cyrus, and Monitor Audio.
For a streaming platform that has spent years positioning itself as one of the most comprehensive solutions for serious music listeners, this was a rather conspicuous omission. BluOS already supported TIDAL, Qobuz, Spotify, and numerous other services, but Apple Music subscribers still had to use AirPlay 2 to get their music onto a Bluesound system. Considering the size of Apple’s subscriber base, that was becoming increasingly difficult to explain.
And while AirPlay 2 has always been convenient, there’s a considerable difference between sending music from your iPhone and having a network player retrieve it directly from the streaming service. The former works, but the latter is how a dedicated hi-fi streamer should operate in 2026.
Until now, Apple Music listeners generally relied on AirPlay 2 to send music from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to a compatible Bluesound component. With the new integration, users can sign into their Apple Music account through the BluOS Controller app and browse and control the service within the same environment used for their other streaming sources.
The more important change happens behind the scenes. The BluOS player retrieves music directly from Apple’s servers rather than requiring a phone or tablet to handle the stream, reducing dependence on the mobile device and its connection.
That matters in a household where multiple people use the same music system. You can start playing an album in the living room, put your phone away, and let the network player handle playback rather than treating your iPhone like an unpaid DJ who isn’t allowed to leave the party.
Apple Music subscribers gain access to the service’s catalog of more than 100 million songs, personalized recommendations, curated playlists, radio programming, and artist-hosted content. An active subscription is required, but Bluesound isn’t charging anything extra for the integration.
We’ve covered BluOS extensively at eCoustics, and one of its biggest strengths has always been the ability to combine different types of audio products within a single control environment.
Our recent Bluesound NODE N132 review explored how the platform has matured into a reliable streaming solution, even as competitors such as WiiM and Eversolo have become increasingly aggressive on price and features. I found the current NODE more transparent, spacious, and controlled than its predecessors, but its mature software remained one of the strongest arguments for spending more than the competition charges.
The same flexibility was central to our PULSE FLEX P130 review. The compact $379 wireless speaker can function independently, join a larger multiroom system, or become part of a compatible home theater setup. It also demonstrated how Bluesound has been refining its hardware rather than relying exclusively on the reputation of its software.
Our PULSE CINEMA review revealed a similarly important distinction. While the soundbar wasn’t as convincing with immersive Dolby Atmos playback as some competitors, its music performance and integration with the wider BluOS ecosystem were genuine strengths.
Apple Music now becomes another source that can operate across these products. Users can group compatible players to hear the same music in different rooms or select different content for separate listening zones.
More importantly, that flexibility extends beyond Bluesound hardware. Someone with a compatible NAD streaming amplifier in the listening room and Bluesound wireless speakers elsewhere in the house can access Apple Music without abandoning the BluOS ecosystem.
That’s a meaningful advantage over buying unrelated wireless speakers and hoping their respective apps eventually learn to cooperate. We’ve all spent enough time watching expensive consumer electronics refuse to acknowledge one another’s existence.
Here’s where the announcement becomes considerably less satisfying for audiophiles. Apple Music offers lossless audio using ALAC, including high-resolution recordings up to 24-bit/192kHz, but neither Bluesound nor BluOS has confirmed the codec, bitrate, or maximum resolution supported by the new native integration. There’s also no mention of Dolby Atmos Music support, which seems like a rather important detail to leave out of a major streaming announcement.
And there’s another wrinkle. Early reports from Bluesound owners using the new integration indicate that the BluOS playback-information display is identifying Apple Music tracks as AAC at approximately 256 kbps. Several users have reported similar results, including one listening to Steely Dan’s Gaucho. These are preliminary user observations rather than independently verified measurements, but they raise legitimate questions about what the new integration actually delivers.
The distinction matters because streaming directly from Apple’s servers doesn’t automatically mean the audio arrives losslessly. The Bluesound NODE can handle high-resolution audio from supported sources, but those hardware capabilities don’t establish the quality of the Apple Music stream. BluOS’s older support documentation also confirms that conventional Apple Music playback through AirPlay could involve AAC compression at 256 kbps, with a Mac-based workaround offering CD-quality ALAC. That guidance predates the new integration and shouldn’t be confused with its technical specifications.
Bluesound deserves credit for finally bringing Apple Music into the BluOS ecosystem, but it needs to clarify whether native playback currently supports lossless ALAC, high-resolution audio, or only compressed AAC. Dolby Atmos compatibility is another unanswered question. For a company that has spent years promoting high-resolution streaming, those aren’t minor details.
Apple Music finally has a seat at the BluOS table. Now we’d like to know whether we’re getting the lossless master or the 256 kbps appetizer.
The integration is available through a free BluOS software update for compatible hardware. Existing Apple Music subscribers can sign in through the BluOS Controller app after updating their system.
The process is intended to be straightforward, and no additional Bluesound subscription or hardware purchase is required.
Bluesound has not provided an exhaustive model-by-model compatibility list in the announcement. Owners of older or third-party BluOS components should confirm that their specific hardware supports the latest software before assuming the feature will be available.
For more information, visit Bluesound or BluOS.
Apple Music’s arrival is a meaningful upgrade for Bluesound and the wider BluOS ecosystem, particularly for households already invested in Apple’s streaming service. Native integration simplifies playback, improves multiroom flexibility, and removes an unnecessary dependence on AirPlay 2 for controlling music throughout the home.
It also makes Bluesound hardware more appealing to prospective buyers who previously favored competing streaming platforms because Apple Music support was a priority. Considering how capable the current NODE, PULSE FLEX, and PULSE CINEMA products have become, this was a gap that needed closing.
The remaining issue is sound quality. Bluesound has delivered the convenience that Apple Music subscribers wanted, but without confirmation of lossless and high-resolution support, we can’t yet say that it has delivered everything audiophiles have been waiting for.
Apple Music finally has a proper seat at the BluOS table. Now we’d like to know whether it’s being served the full-resolution meal or the compressed airline version.
A threat actor breached TeamUpdraft’s website, a developer of popular WordPress backup and security plugins, potentially compromising UpdraftCentral connection keys that can send commands to connected websites.
TeamUpdraft detected unauthorized access to its infrastructure over the weekend and believes that the hacker accessed the customer database.
The developer offers several WordPress tools for backup, storage, and site management:
“Over the weekend of 17-18 October we identified unauthorised access to the teamupdraft.com website,” TeamUpdraft said in an advisory yesterday.
“Our team responded straight away and worked through the night to contain it – we closed the access route, signed out every account and replaced the keys and credentials that could have been affected.”
The vendor says it believes the threat actor accessed its customer database, which included details about the customer and billing, order history, as well as more sensitive information:
The vendor said it did not store any payment details and noted that UpdraftPlus plugin files and downloads remain unaffected. Self-hosted UpdraftCentral instances are not impacted.
Even if backups in customers’ own remote storage are unaffected, the company recommends that users rotate storage credentials and reauthorize connections if they accessed their site through UpdraftCentral.
An estimated 10% of sites using UpdraftPlus have an UpdraftCentral or Migrator key, potentially exposing around 400,000 websites to the attack.
According to Patchstack lead researcher Oliver Sild, attackers have begun using stolen access keys to backdoor sites connected to UpdraftCentral, saying the campaign may be more severe than the “wp2shell” attack.
The WordPress plugin security company says that the attacks started on October 18 at 15:32 UTC to execute arbitrary code and add accounts with full administrator privileges.
The researchers logged at least 99 malicious backdoor plugins with distinct names disguised as WordPress maintenance and optimization tools, such as “Site Health Cache.”
Although Patchstack describes an early variant of the backdoor plugin that is broken due to a coding error, a report from web application security firm Nethemba documents a newer version that lets attackers create privileged accounts or log in as existing administrators.
Nethemba says three of its own WordPress websites were targeted through UpdraftCentral, with malicious plugins successfully installed on two of them.
“All three sites ran the current WordPress 7.1.3 and UpdraftPlus 2.26.11, which is patched against the June vulnerability CVE-2026-10795,” Nethemba says.
“The attacker did not break into our servers and did not exploit any weakness in our configuration. The attacker came in through the UpdraftCentral remote management channel and signed the commands with valid private dashboard keys”
Nethemba reports that the vendor’s initial 1.26.12/2.26.12 release was meant to remove UpdraftCentral Cloud keys, but a bug prevented it from doing so.
Users are recommended to update UpdraftPlus to 1.26.13 (free) / 2.26.13 (Premium) or later.
After updating, it is recommended to log into each WordPress site and delete the UpdraftCentral connection keys from Settings → UpdraftPlus Backups → Advanced Tools → UpdraftCentral → Manage existing keys.
Administrators should inspect logs and files for indicators of compromise provided by TeamUpdraft, Patchstack, and Nethemba.
If compromise is confirmed, it is recommended to restore sites from clean backups, change the TeamUpdraft account password, revoke all sessions, and reset the two-factor authentication protection method.
Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply.
The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments.
Certificate authority eMudhra revoked eight compromised intermediate certificates after researchers found their private keys were so weak that anyone could recover them almost instantly and use them to forge trusted certificates for legitimate websites.
Major browsers and operating systems trusted the compromised certificates, potentially allowing attackers to impersonate legitimate websites and intercept encrypted communications.
A security researcher known as Wayne discovered the weakness on October 17 while scanning publicly available certificate data.
According to Mozilla’s incident report, all eight certificates used P-384 private keys generated in April 2025 that had values smaller than 256, allowing anyone to recover them by testing just 256 possible numbers.
To demonstrate the weakness, security researcher Flüpke published one of the compromised private keys on GitHub, showing that the private key for eMudhra’s “EM OV TLS CA – G3C” certificate had a value of just 4.
BleepingComputer independently verified that the published key matches one of the revoked certificates.
In a response to Mozilla, eMudhra blamed the issue on an error in a script used to generate the certificates in April 2025. The company said the error generated a second set of weaker keys that were mistakenly selected for certificate signing because they had labels similar to the properly generated keys.
Some of the resulting certificates were also submitted to Sectigo for cross-signing.
eMudhra said most of the affected intermediate certificates were never used in production and that it had found no evidence they were used to issue certificates to end users.
However, attackers could have recovered and abused the weak keys since their creation in April 2025, though there is no evidence that this happened.
Following the disclosure, eMudhra revoked the eight compromised certificates and stopped issuing new certificates under its G3 root.
Mozilla said it blocked the compromised certificates through Firefox’s OneCRL system on October 17, protecting users without requiring a browser update or restart.
Google Chrome also blocked the six compromised intermediates authorized to issue TLS certificates that day, while Apple added protections on October 19.
Mozilla also released Firefox 158.0.1 and updates for its ESR releases on October 20 to protect users whose browser configurations prevented them from receiving the earlier revocation updates.
However, software that uses its own certificate stores or doesn’t check certificate revocations may keep trusting the compromised intermediates until it is updated.
The Go development team released versions 1.27.3 and 1.26.10 to address the issue, tracked as CVE-2026-111943.
Mozilla cryptography engineer Dennis Jackson has also published an incident tracking website listing affected software and available security updates.
| Software | Patched version / status |
|---|---|
| Ubuntu ca-certificates | 20260816ubuntu0.22.04.1, 20260816ubuntu0.24.04.1, 20260816ubuntu0.26.04.1, 20260816ubuntu0.26.10.1 |
| Debian ca-certificates | Pending |
| Arch Linux ca-certificates-mozilla | 3.131.1-1 |
| Gentoo ca-certificates | 20260816.3.125 |
| FreeBSD ca_root_nss | Pending |
| Chainguard ca-certificates | 20260909-r3 |
| Alpine Linux ca-certificates | 20261020-r0 |
| NSS | 3.131.1 |
| curl CA bundle | 2026-10-20 |
| Homebrew ca-certificates | 2026-09-25_1 |
| Go | 1.27.3, 1.26.10 |
| Node.js | Pending |
| Python certifi | 2026.10.19 |
| pip | 26.2.2 |
| uv | 0.13.4 |
| Rust rustls-webpki | 0.103.16 |
| Rust webpki-roots / webpki-root-certs | 1.0.10 |
| Electron | 44.9.1, 43.8.1, 42.11.16 |
| Bun | Pending |
| Composer ca-bundle | 1.4.16, 1.6.0 |
| Elixir castore | 1.0.22 |
Jackson also warns that macOS’s built-in /usr/bin/curl utility may continue trusting the compromised certificates because its certificate bundle does not check revocation information.
Administrators can use the advisory’s test endpoints and mitigation instructions to determine whether their systems are still affected.
Users and administrators should install available software updates to ensure the compromised certificates are no longer trusted.
Overall prevention scores can hide what happens after initial access. Once attackers are using valid credentials, prevention drops sharply.
The Blue Report 2026 measures defenses technique by technique across 338 million simulations run in customer production environments.
The vivo S2, launched a few months back, was a solid phone that prioritized design and looks. That said, almost every phone today will get you a great-looking display, decent performance, and capable cameras. But there’s one thing that still annoys me: battery anxiety. Even expensive phones can leave you hunting for a charger by the end of a busy day. That’s the problem the vivo S2 FE tries to solve. Instead of competing purely on performance or camera hardware, vivo has given this phone a massive 10,000mAh battery. This was unimaginable just a few years back.
Fortunately, there’s more to the S2 FE than endurance. You get a 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a MediaTek Dimensity 7300e processor, and a 50MP Sony main camera. But is it worth the ₹38,999 price tag? I’ve been using the S2 FE for the past couple of weeks, taking it to cafes for Instagram stories, playing games, and more. Here’s how it held up.
vivo S2 FE Review
Summary
The vivo S2 FE focuses on battery life, and boy, does it deliver. The 10,000mAh battery comfortably lasts beyond two days, even with gaming, doomscrolling, and plenty of camera use. The design looks good, the 120Hz AMOLED display is great for watching content, and the speakers get loud enough for everyday use. Performance is decent for daily tasks and games like BGMI, too
The vivo S2 FE is built around a 10,000mAh battery, yet it doesn’t look like the rugged phones you’d normally associate with that capacity. It measures 8.59mm thick in Stellar Green and Titan Black, while the Zen White variant is slightly thicker at 8.69mm. The phone weighs between 224 and 225 grams, depending on the color. That’s not exactly lightweight, but it’s a reasonable trade-off for such a large battery. I have the green one, and I do like this design. The S2 FE looks simple, yet sophisticated enough to be used anywhere. The color also shimmers when the light hits just right.
The camera island is fairly standard, with two lenses and an LED flash. However, its transparent design is something new, and the 50MP branding has a subtle shadow that adds to the premium look. I also showed the phone to several of my friends, who all complimented the color and design, so that’s a bonus. As for the handling, the sides are plastic and flat. The phone is big, so handling can get a bit difficult if you have smaller hands. Regardless, the flat sides are comfortable to hold, and the phone slips easily into your pockets.
Durability is another highlight. The S2 FE has IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance, along with military-standard durability testing. These features should provide some reassurance against everyday mishaps, although I’d still keep the phone away from seawater, which is corrosive. You also get dual stereo speakers, Bluetooth 5.4, dual-band Wi-Fi, and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The sensor sits slightly lower than I’d have liked, but it worked every time, even with slightly wet or dirty fingers.
The vivo S2 FE features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with a 2,800 x 1,260 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. Watching videos, especially Lanterns, was a fantastic experience, thanks to the deep blacks and strong contrast. The high refresh rate made supported content and interface animations feel smoother.
vivo claims up to 2,000 nits of High Brightness Mode (HBM) brightness. While I don’t have a device to measure that myself, I did take the phone out in the hot October sun, and the panel was pretty visible. I wasn’t forced to squint. The display also supports HDR10+ and a P3 wide color gamut. Slim bezels and a claimed 94.47% screen-to-body ratio give you plenty of screen real estate. Without a screen protector or case, the phone held up against everyday wear without any major scratches. I also dropped it by accident, but the plastic frame absorbed that impact.
Audio comes from dual stereo speakers with vivo’s VEQ Algorithm. Stereo speakers make watching videos and playing games more immersive than a single-speaker setup, and that was true of the S2 FE. They get pretty loud, making calls easy to hear, while dialogue remains clear when watching YouTube.
The vivo S2 FE runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7300e, a 6nm octa-core processor with four performance cores clocked at up to 2.5GHz and four efficiency cores running at up to 2.0GHz. Graphics are handled by the ARM Mali-G610 MC2 GPU. You can choose between 6GB and 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, paired with 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
On paper, this is hardware aimed at everyday use rather than flagship-level performance. Browsing, messaging, social media, video streaming, and switching between apps felt smooth, with few stutters or long waits. I did notice some slight hesitation when opening heavier apps like Camera or BGMI, but nothing major.
The S2 FE runs Android 16 with OriginOS 6. vivo has introduced OriginOS 7 with the V80, but the S2 FE is still running the older version. You can personalize the home screen with widgets, wallpapers, and themes. Origin Island presents supported ongoing activities and notifications in a compact area, while Private Space lets you keep selected apps and personal content separate from the regular interface. It also includes Shake and Share to share content between compatible devices. AI is another focus, with features such as Google Gemini, AI Creation, AI Captions, AI Erase, Drag & Go, vivo Office Kit, and AI SuperLink. Some of these could be helpful, although I don’t use much AI myself.
Since this is a review, I also ran a series of benchmarks to test the S2 FE’s performance ceiling. In AnTuTu, the S2 FE scored 904,341 points. In Geekbench, it reached 867 in single-core and 2,949 in multi-core. As for gaming, I also downloaded BGMI. With graphics set to Smooth and the frame rate set to Extreme, BGMI ran well, with no noticeable lag even during combat. vivo has included a 3,800 mm² vapor chamber cooling system. During my gaming test, the phone got slightly warm after an hour of BGMI, but temperatures remained manageable
The 10,000mAh battery is easily the vivo S2 FE’s biggest selling point. vivo claims up to 30 hours of video playback, 30 hours of live streaming, 68 hours of voice calls, and 15.8 hours of gaming. While I don’t watch videos for 30 hours straight, I did find the S2 FE’s battery pretty amazing. It’ll last you more than 2 days, easy. For some context, I started my day doomscrolling through Instagram Reels, played BGMI for a couple of hours, watched YouTube videos, and took camera samples. I ended the first day with 55% battery remaining, which is insane. After using it throughout the next day, I still had 10% left.
vivo claims the battery will retain at least 80% of its original capacity after 1,400 full charge cycles under its testing conditions. Charging is handled by 44W FlashCharge, and the box includes a compatible charger. It’s reasonably fast, but with the big battery, you’d be looking at more than an hour to charge from 20% to 80%. You can also use the S2 FE as a makeshift power bank to charge other devices through its USB Type-C port.
vivo says the S2 FE has a dual-camera setup. That’s a bit of a stretch, because the second sensor is a 2MP unit that doesn’t do much. That said, the 50MP Sony IMX852 primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture is half-decent. Give the sensor enough light, and it’ll produce photos with good colors, ample contrast, and details that don’t fall apart when you zoom in.
HDR performance was good, though the camera overexposed the sky in the harshest sunlight. Photos taken under artificial lighting also retained similar detail and color, so no complaints there. vivo’s portrait game has been excellent for years, and despite the lack of a telephoto camera, portraits come out well. In daylight, skin tones are accurate, and portrait mode does a good job of separating the subject from the background.
Nighttime performance, however, is where I’d deduct a few points. The sensor struggles to retain details and colors in low light, resulting in muddy-looking photos. It’s a noticeable step down from what the camera can achieve during the day. Video quality is another bummer. The S2 FE can only record videos at up to 1080p in 2026, which is hard to accept for a phone costing nearly ₹40,000. You also don’t get optical image stabilization (OIS), so footage can get shaky, particularly when you’re walking or recording handheld.
The 32MP selfie camera is a pleasant surprise, though. Photos have natural-looking colors and ample detail, making it a reliable option for selfies and video calls.
Starting at ₹38,999, the vivo S2 FE is a phone that knows what it wants to be. It focuses on battery life, and boy, does it deliver. The 10,000mAh battery comfortably lasts beyond two days, even with gaming, doomscrolling, and plenty of camera use. The design looks good, the 120Hz AMOLED display is great for watching content, and the speakers get loud enough for everyday use. Performance is decent for daily tasks and games like BGMI, too. There are compromises, though. The rear camera struggles at night, video recording is limited to 1080p, and the lack of OIS can leave handheld footage shaky. Still, if battery anxiety is your biggest smartphone complaint, the vivo S2 FE is easy to recommend.
The idea of switching to Ethernet does sound appealing. You generally get faster internet speeds and lower latency on a wired connection compared to Wi-Fi, which can be particularly helpful to gamers or people who work with and share large files over the internet. But how exactly does it work? Is it as simple as plugging the Ethernet cable in? And does your computer automatically disable Wi-Fi when you do so? Those are some of the common questions users have, and honestly, the entire process is pretty straightforward, requiring little manual adjustment on your part.
As soon as you plug in the correct Ethernet cable, the computer, whether it’s running Windows, macOS, or Linux, automatically switches to the wired connection. That’s how operating systems typically prioritize network connectivity by default: a wired connection over a wireless one. So, you don’t really need to disable Wi-Fi, although you absolutely can. But depending on the operating system, turning off the Wi-Fi can mean losing out on certain features. For instance, if you disable Wi-Fi after switching to Ethernet on macOS, you won’t be able to use AirDrop. So, generally speaking, it’s best to leave Wi-Fi turned on when using Ethernet. The computer will automatically switch to Ethernet for internet connectivity, and that’s all most users really need.
You can also confirm the same. On Windows, you will see the Ethernet icon (computer with a cable next to it) in the system tray on a wired connection. On macOS, you can open Network Settings and verify which connection the system is currently using.
There might be times when your computer connects to the Wi-Fi despite having an Ethernet cable plugged in. It’s rare but can still happen, especially if your system is having trouble prioritizing Ethernet. In such cases, you can force Windows to disable Wi-Fi automatically as soon as a wired connection is set up.
To do that, open the Control Panel, select “Network and Internet,” click on “Network and Sharing Center,” and select “Change adapter settings” from the left pane. Here, right-click your Wi-Fi network adapter, select “Properties,” and then click on “Configure.” Navigate to the “Advanced” tab, select the “Disable Upon Wired Connect” entry from the list, choose “Enabled” from the dropdown menu on the right, and save the changes. From now on, whenever you set up an Ethernet connection, Windows will automatically disable Wi-Fi, preventing any conflict between the two. It’s worth noting that the option isn’t available on every Wi-Fi adapter, so some of you may not see it. But if it’s there, the setting is worth reconfiguring.
On macOS, the steps are a little different, but you can reconfigure available network adapters and set Ethernet to be prioritized over Wi-Fi. To do that, open “Settings,” go to “Network,” click the three-dot menu, and select “Set Service Order.” You will now see all the available network services. Drag the Ethernet entry to the top, above Wi-Fi, then click “OK” to save the changes. With these quick methods, you can prioritize Ethernet over Wi-Fi on your computer without manually disabling the latter.
Antigravity released the Follow Me Bundle for its A1 drone, pairing the existing 8K 360 aircraft with a Watch Remote, Ring Remote, and full-coverage propeller guards. Complete kits that include the drone list for $799 through the company website and selected Best Buy locations, cutting the previous entry price in half, while the accessory kit alone costs $340 or $272 for people who already own an A1.
The Watch Remote’s 1.7-inch touchscreen displays a live view from the drone, allows you to select who or what you want to track, record and stop it, and activate pre-set paths such as arcs, spirals, or a climb up that culminates with the drone zooming in on the subject, which is quite cool. Simply press the Ring Remote’s one button and point it at the airplane, and the A1 will respond to hand gestures: move it left or right, up or down, or twist your wrist to bring it closer or send it away. The remote and watch are both very water and perspiration resistant, allowing you to use them during a sweaty bike ride or light rain.
Tracking utilizes the drone’s AI and data from the watch’s GPS system to determine where you want to go – even when minor obstacles like trees or other riders appear in the way, the A1 stays on track up to 35 km/h while the camera captures a full 360-degree view of the surroundings. So, once you’ve landed, you can select the finest photograph, choose between folks in a group photo, or include some sweet pan and zoom moves from the film without ever having to get back in the air.
You can add propeller shields for extra protection when flying low and close to people or in confined spaces, but this will increase the takeoff weight above the 249g threshold that previously allowed for completely unrestricted play in some regions. To palm launch it, you’ll need at least a few meters of clear airspace above you, and the drone will follow you or a family member while your hands are free to do anything you want. Early hands-on reports say the watch is a little chunky, and adjusting the distance and position at the same time requires releasing the button and then trying again, but the package is still a game changer because it allows you to do things on your own that used to require goggles, a separate spotter, and were outside the “in sight” rules.
Google is beginning to replace traditional support articles with “Ask Google Help,” a Gemini-powered interface that summarizes documentation and lets users troubleshoot through a chatbot. 9to5Google reports: “Ask Google Help” will display a condensed version of the support article with direct troubleshooting steps, with the user then able to type in queries to have Gemini help figure out the next step forward. A “View Sources” button at the bottom of the AI response allows users to still access the original article, but direct links to any of these articles now defaults to the AI experience.
An example can be seen below on the “Secure a hacked or compromised Google account” page that Google’s own support account directed users to within the past few days. It can also be seen on the “Fix common issues with 2-Step Verification” page and, as far as we can tell, any support pages on the Google Account Help forum.
Google, as of right now, appears to only be testing this on select support topics. The Google Pixel Help section, for instance, still defaults to articles, whereas the Google Chrome topic has also moved to the new experience. Beyond support pages alone, this new design also impacts the central hub, with links to topics no longer showing by default in exchange for an AI chatbot that helps you find the relevant page.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Few things feel as satisfying as blasting pixelated ducks. However, I never imagined doing it with an earbud. Then again, gaming accessories have taken stranger forms.
A developer who posts as Dividivan on X turned one AirPod into a miniature, gun-like controller you can point and tap, but it only works with a Mac. The side project became BipBop, a free website that lets you use your AirPods as a controller for 30 throwback minigames.
It all started with Duck Hunt. Dividivan posted a 28-second demo on X on October 18, 2026. It garnered over 126,000 views in two days. The developer says it was voice-coded: built by speaking prompts to an AI.
To play, pair one AirPod with a Mac running Apple Silicon, hold it in your hand, turn it to aim, and then shoot, like a regular gun-like controller. For those wondering how AirPods can aim, they have a built-in gyroscope; the same sensor that helps your AirPods track head movements can now help you aim at digital ducks.
To shoot, tap the area near the microphone on the AirPods. The app listens for the sound and translates it into a trigger. You can also shoot by pressing on the earbud itself, though that might not be as convenient.
On Reddit, the developer told one commenter the shot delay is “0 by default,” which I’d read as no added lag, since Bluetooth always takes a moment (via Reddit). Two AirPods at once won’t work because, the developer says, Apple merges both signals.
So much for dual-wielding your way through Duck Hunt. For all of this to work, you’ll need to disable Automatic Ear Detection first.
The good news is that BipBop is free (so you don’t have to share your credit card details), runs offline, and needs no account. Its 30 games include Bowling, Mini Golf, Hoops, and Wave Racer.
That’s 30 ways to put your earbuds through their paces without spending a cent. The minimum system requirements are an M1 or later Mac, macOS 14 or newer, and AirPods that support head tracking.
My advice: treat it as a beta. It’s still a 0.8.7 build and isn’t notarized, meaning Apple hasn’t scanned it, so macOS may refuse to open it. The developer says to use Open Anyway rather than weaken your security.
It’s a fun little experiment, but maybe don’t hand your Mac’s security settings to the first virtual duck-shooting range you find.
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Finding new music on Spotify is one of those little joys that can turn an ordinary day around. You play a song you love, let the recommendations take over, and occasionally stumble upon an artist you wish you’d discovered sooner. But with AI making it ridiculously easy to produce music in bulk, not everything landing in your recommendations deserves a listen.
Spotify knows this is becoming a problem, and it’s acting on it. The streaming giant has revealed it filtered more than 50 million spammy, low-quality tracks from its recommendations this year. That’s on top of another 75 million tracks it has completely removed from the platform for repeatedly or seriously breaking its rules. And Spotify isn’t stopping there — it wants to make sure actual artists aren’t buried under an endless stream of AI-generated content.
Rather than looking for AI-created tracks, Spotify has been paying attention to how people actually listen to music. Earlier this year, it noticed that songs listeners frequently skipped, ignored, or actively rejected often overlapped with content flagged as spam or low-quality material. That discovery led to several changes to its recommendation system over the past six months. The goal is explicit: make it easier to discover genuine artists while keeping unwanted content from taking over your playlists.
Of course, identifying AI-generated spam isn’t as simple as running a song through a detector. Spotify now combines listening behavior, user feedback, suspicious upload activity, track information, and multiple AI detection services to identify potentially problematic music. It also watches for tricks such as repeatedly uploading the same music, manipulating search results, and flooding the platform with unusually short tracks. The company says these changes have already reduced complaints about unwanted content appearing in recommendations.
Cleaning up recommendations is only one part of Spotify’s strategy. The company is also making it easier to understand whether the music you’re hearing comes from a real artist or an AI-generated identity. Its AI Credits feature, introduced in April, lets artists disclose how they used AI during production. Spotify says artists are now submitting tens of thousands of these credits daily.
Meanwhile, Spotify has verified more than 300,000 artists, including many independent musicians. The platform has also begun labeling thousands of AI-generated artist identities, which it generally excludes from recommendations unless listeners choose to engage with them. Artists are getting additional protection, too. A new feature lets them review releases linked to their profiles before those tracks go public. Spotify plans to expand it to all artists by the end of 2026. Importantly, Spotify isn’t banning AI-assisted music altogether. It’s trying to distinguish legitimate creative work from content designed to exploit its platform. For listeners, that could mean fewer questionable tracks interrupting their playlists and a better chance of discovering music that’s actually worth saving.
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