With back-to-school season approaching (or already here in some places), keeping track of everyone’s schedules can get pretty chaotic. Between work, school, appointments, sports, chores, and everything else going on, a regular paper calendar just doesn’t cut it. That’s where Linkdaze’s smart digital calendar comes in — a wall-mounted touchscreen tablet built specifically to organize a household rather than a single person. 

One of Linkdaze’s biggest strengths is its calendar compatibility. The system can synchronize calendars from popular services including Google, iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo, and Cozi, which is a dedicated family-organizing app. This is particularly useful for families where different members use different platforms. Instead of asking everyone to switch to a single calendar app, Linkdaze brings multiple schedules together and uses color coding to make individual family members easy to identify.

Linkdaze is available in 15.6-inch and 10.1-inch models, giving you some flexibility depending on how much wall space you have. Beyond calendars and appointments, you can use it for chores and rewards, meal planning, shopping lists, and other family organization. It can even double as a digital photo frame for displaying family photos.

The most interesting feature, however, is Linkdaze’s AI meal planner with “Snap-to-Sync.” Instead of manually entering everything into a meal-planning app, you can take a photo of a paper recipe or your kid’s school lunch menu. Linkdaze will turn that information into a digital meal plan and generate a shopping list from it. While not an entirely new idea,  it’s a useful feature that helps Linkdaze stand out from a basic digital calendar.

Another big plus is that Linkdaze doesn’t require a monthly subscription for its main features. It’s an interesting choice in a category where recurring revenue has become the default. Skylight, a competing smart-calendar brand, offers additional features through its $79 per month subscription. For a hardware company entering a crowded smart-display market, that decision is either going to differentiate its product or look like a lost revenue stream, depending on how the business scales.

Linkdaze is also less expensive upfront, with the 10.1-inch model priced at $119.99 compared with Skylight’s 10-inch model at $159.99.

Overall, this device could make a practical gift for busy parents who are trying to keep everyone’s schedules in one place. It could also be a great fit for college apartments, where roommates can use it to coordinate chores, study schedules, shared meals, and other household responsibilities. It’s also very helpful for those of us juggling interviews, deadlines, meetings, and story assignments.

The Federal Trade Commission says the price changes you see should depend on supply and demand, but some businesses have begun changing the price based on your online search or buying habits. The FTC says it wants to rein that in.  

The agency released a statement and proposal Wednesday, asking for public comment on a policy on personalized pricing, which it defines as “the use of personal data to set prices according to the amount that a company believes an individual consumer is willing to spend.” 

“When consumers see a listed price, they expect it to be same price that everyone else sees, not the retailer’s estimate of how much they are willing to pay based on their personal data,” FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement.

The FTC gave a few examples of how businesses may use your personal data to get you to pay more. A food delivery company could charge more if it believes you’re less likely to or unable to leave home to pick up your order. A business charging more for an item online after data shows you’ve been in the store or parking lot while browsing its website. 

Ferguson said the FTC likely doesn’t have the legal authority to ban personalized pricing in every circumstance, but businesses that don’t tell you how your personal data is being used to determine a price could be in violation of the FTC Act and other laws enforced by the commission. 

It’s unclear of next steps are for the FTC or how long it would take for the act to go into effect. The FTC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For now, the FTC recommends using a virtual private network or private browser settings to try to avoid personalized pricing practices from businesses. You can also stop shopping at retailers if you suspect that they engage in these practices. 

Dashia is the consumer insights editor for CNET. She specializes in data-driven analysis and news at the intersection of tech, personal finance and consumer sentiment. Dashia investigates economic shifts and everyday challenges to help readers make well-informed decisions, and she covers a range of topics, including technology, security, energy and money. Dashia graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. She loves baking, teaching spinning and spending time with her family.

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One of the most remarkable additions to the Pixel 11 series of smartphones this year is the new colorful LED notification system that Google calls “HiLight.” The core idea behind this colorful light is that you can customize it. Unfortunately, Google kept it tightly locked. For example, it only works when you are having an interaction with Gemini, or have set it as a caller identity for voice calls.

And that’s pretty much as far as it goes. Soon after Google introduced it on its latest flagship phones, enthusiasts complained that it was such a missed opportunity. Google should have allowed users to customize the light colors on a per-app basis, or perhaps dig even deeper. Well, there’s finally a fix. Tech content creator @Dhananjay_Tech (DhananjayBhosale) has created an app that fully unlocks HiLight on the Pixel 11 Pro smartphones.

The app, called HiLight Studio, lets you pick between five color options and even animate them across all eight built-in LED lights. You can configure it on a per-app basis, import and export the lighting rules, and even have it respond to quiet hours, do not disturb mode, and low battery controls. The app also lets you stretch the ambient lighting duration to five minutes, but there are a few limitations in place.

If the light is enabled for more than 10 seconds, the brightness is slightly decreased. For notifications, it will only flash for a maximum of 60 seconds. Now, before you get too excited, do keep in mind that this app is not available on the Google Play Store. That means it may not pass through all the safety protocols that Google has prescribed for developers before their apps are made available on its app repository.

Additionally, it’s not a straightforward install. You’ll have to download the APK package, go through the developer settings on your phone, agree to install apps from third-party sources on your Pixel 11 Pro phone, and enable wireless debugging before you can set it up and get it running. Also, here’s your standard disclaimer from the developer on the GitHub repository:

“Long, continuous use of the HiLight LEDs has not been tested. If you build the project yourself, you can change the timing and safety values in your copy. Custom builds are your responsibility.”

It’s a fantastic tool, regardless, and I hope Google pays some attention to it and develops its own system that allows users to play with HiLight on their Pixel 11 Pro phones, with deep customizations in tow. The smartphones are otherwise pretty solid. I particularly enjoyed the quick Night Sight experience, and there are a bunch of software features that really push these phones into an altogether different category, where they shine owing to their software-based conveniences rather than brute hardware prowess.

There have been countless efforts by brands to bring iMessage to Android. Now, Sunbird has returned to the Google Play Store after almost three years. It originally launched in 2022 to let Android users communicate through iMessage. The app was later removed following privacy concerns. It has now returned with changes aimed at improving security. Sunbird gives Android users a way to access iMessage from their phones. It also comes with features like text formatting and message effects.

Why Sunbird Still Matters Despite RCS Support

The RCS system has simplified messaging for both Android and iPhone users, offering features such as typing indicators and read receipts. However, RCS is not equipped with all the features available in iMessage. Some users have also reported certain issues with group messages, emojis, and videos. Sunbird tries to fill these gaps by bringing more iMessage features to Android.

However, Sunbird had previously been criticized for its security measures and how it handled users’ privacy. It was stated that messages, documents, and other information could be accessed in clear text format. This issue was faced by Nothing Chats, which uses Sunbird’s technology. In 2023, both applications were suspended.

The relaunched Sunbird app comes with new security measures, according to the company. Sunbird says it encrypts messages on the device and during their transfer. It claims that its servers do not permanently store conversation history. Instead, chats remain stored on the sender’s and recipient’s devices. Sunbird uses AES-256 encryption to protect messages stored on those devices. The company also says it automatically deletes media from its servers within 72 hours. For messages sent to iPhones, Apple’s iMessage encryption protects the final delivery stage.

Sunbird Pricing and Free Trial

Android users can download Sunbird from the Google Play Store and try its features for free. However, Sunbird has a 14-day free trial. After that, a subscription is mandatory. Sunbird has a monthly subscription of $2.99, while its annual subscription is $24.99. More than 181,000 early users had subscribed to this platform before its launch.

Adversa used a similar technique in a Gemini jailbreak attack, meaning making the Google LLM ignore its internal safety rules. Here, the ciphertext was decrypted to what appeared to be a traceback. The decrypted text issued one rule—if the code fails, read the error message and act on it. The cleartext injected a prompt that ultimately caused Gemini to violate its safety rules.

“The technique produced a multi-paragraph example of restricted content that Gemini’s safety filters normally suppress (building an incendiary weapon),” Adversa said. “With a modified payload, the same vector reproduced Gemini’s system instructions, including the directive forbidding their disclosure.”

Adversa didn’t report the behavior to Google because jailbreaks aren’t within the scope of the company’s vulnerability disclosure program. Over the past few weeks, however, Gemini has grown increasingly resistant to the attack. “We can’t attribute the change—it could be filter updates, model version changes, or both,” the security firm said. Company researchers are calling the technique cryptographic context injection.

“Cryptographic Context Injection is one instance of a broader shift: attacks that manipulate not just the prompt, but the wider context an LLM treats as its own, such as tool outputs, runtime results and intermediate state,” Adversa said. “This attack surface is far larger than what’s traditionally labeled ‘model inputs,’ and the next generation of attacks will emerge there.”

The Cryptographic Context Injection is only the latest example of the disadvantage LLM defenders operate under. Every time they build a new, one-off guardrail, an attacker finds a new vector that allows the car to once again careen off the road. The cycle continues: lather, rinse, and repeat.

Level Infinite and Gameloft have officially launched Gangstar Mirage City across South Asia, Southeast Asia, MENA, Eastern and Central Europe, and Latin America. The free-to-play multiplayer open-world action game is now available on Android and iOS, following more than 30 million pre-registrations worldwide. Set in a futuristic urban playground called Mirage City, the game combines story-driven missions with multiplayer gameplay, heists, business management, and vehicle combat. Players can also customize cars, build their criminal empire, and create cinematic videos using the game’s built-in Director’s Mode.

Gangstar Mirage City brings a new open-world experience

Unlike traditional mission-based action games, Gangstar Mirage City blends a structured narrative with dynamic events that change depending on how you play. The city is filled with real-time quests, spontaneous encounters, and multiple competitive game modes.

Some of the key gameplay features include:

• Open-world story missions with dynamic city events
• Featured multiplayer modes including Taxi Takeover, Treasure Rush, Big Head Mode, and battle royale-style Orarra Fight
• Business Empire system that lets players capture districts and grow their in-game net worth
• Vehicle combat mechanics featuring shoot-and-drive gameplay, Digital Disruptor abilities, Sentry Systems, and Siege Plating upgrades

The game also includes Director’s Mode, allowing players to record custom cinematic sequences and create their own stories inside Mirage City.

Players who pre-registered before August 19 can now claim their launch rewards through the in-game mailbox. The rewards include 300 Diamonds, Vehicle Upgrade Vouchers, and a Vehicle Pack earned through the Global Vault Heist campaign. Indian players belonging to winning factions will receive an additional 300 Diamonds, while players who recruited friends during the pre-registration campaign may also receive extra cosmetic vouchers.

Creator Program

Gameloft has also launched the Gangstar Creator Program, giving content creators access to incentives such as a shared cash prize pool, in-game currency rewards, and promotion through the game’s official channels. To celebrate the launch, the company will host a month-long All Gangstar Show livestream series featuring popular creators competing to become the boss of Mirage City. More details for South Asia will be announced later.

Genesis, the luxury wing of Hyundai Motor Group, pulled back the curtain on the all-new GV90 and GV90 Neolun at an event on Wednesday evening in San Francisco. The full-size SUV will serve as the brand’s flagship, riding on a bespoke variation of HMG’s EV platform with the company’s largest-capacity battery to date and a dramatic set of coach doors that open wide onto a cabin that transforms into a lounge when parked.

Genesis’ new flagship arrives in two configurations: the GV90 has familiar, front-hinged rear doors, but the star of the show is the GV90 Neolun, with its Neolun Arch Gate coach doors — rear-hinged doors on both sides that swing backward, opening onto a large, pillarless portal into the cabin.

Neolun Arch Gate coach doors

Coach doors aren’t new — they’re a hallmark of Rolls-Royce, and have shown up on quirky utility vehicles of all shapes, sizes and prices — but they’ve always meant structural compromises: either a B-pillar sits in the middle of the opening, or the doors overlap to make up for the missing pillar, meaning you usually can’t open the back doors without popping the fronts first.

Hyundai says the Neolun Arch Gate is the world’s first coach-door setup with independently opening doors and no center pillar, so owners get a large, unfettered opening without having to shuffle doors in the wrong order. Neolun also features motorized swiveling front bucket seats that rotate 180 degrees to face into the cabin, turning the interior into a lounge-like, face-to-face space for socializing or business while parked or charging, activated by a button on the door trim.

The hidden-B-pillar trick is made possible in part by the GV90’s Electric Mobility Prime platform — presumably a bespoke variation of HMG’s Electric Global Modular Platform — structural frame beneath the cabin floor that protects the battery and provides chassis rigidity, reducing the load on the body pillars. The hoop around the door aperture is also reinforced with a hidden roll-cage structure that is 1.5 times thicker than the conventional body structure, retaining crashworthiness and rollover safety.

With a stiff platform on which to work, Genesis also developed a new dual-motion hinge mechanism for the rear doors: it first slides the door slightly outward, then rotates it open, allowing the doors to operate independently of the fronts and giving rear-seat passengers more room to get in and out.

HMG’s biggest battery yet

GV90 models come with a massive 123.5-kWh high-voltage battery, the largest pack of any HMG EV yet. (For comparison, the Kia EV9 packs 99.8 kWh, and the Hyundai Ioniq 9 packs 110.3 kWh.) Genesis’ internal estimates put the range at around 310 miles in the lighter, 7-seat, standard-door configuration. For longer trips, a 350-kW fast charger can take the SUV from 10% to 80% in around 22 minutes. Presumably, the GV90 will continue HMG’s trend of native NACS ports for North American EVs; CNET has reached out to the automaker for comment.

The dual-motor AWD system is rated at a combined 657 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque, making it also the most powerful EV in HMG’s catalog (edging out the 641 hp Ioniq 5 N hot hatchback). Dual E-LSDs give each axle its own electronic limited-slip differential, granting independent control over left-to-right power delivery in corners, on uneven roads or in wheel-slip situations like snow or rain. 

An available multi-chamber air suspension adapts firmness and ride height to conditions. At the same time, Active Rear Wheel Steering — one of my favorite tech-tree upgrades for long-wheelbase vehicles — helps low-speed maneuverability and high-speed stability. While EVs typically lean on regen over friction brakes, Genesis fitted the GV90 with large-diameter discs and 4-piston monobloc calipers, I reckon at least partly because they look cool.

A big screen that gets even bigger

The GV90 is the first HMG vehicle to ditch the start button — a convenience trend I’m still not fully on board with. Grab the door handle and the car wakes up automatically; the brake pedal turns it on, and the driver selects gears via a motorized steering-column shifter.

At the center of the dash sits the GV90’s OLED Cinematic Display, a 23.6-inch screen serving as the instrument cluster, navigation and media display, running the Android Automotive OS overlaid with Genesis’ Pleo Connect software, theme and app store. You can control it via touch, the physical Crystal Sphere Controller on the center console or Genesis’ generative AI agent, Gleo AI. When parked, the screen can slide up and out of the dash an additional 3.5 inches (90mm), growing to 24.6 inches with a better aspect ratio and 1.7 times more real estate for multimedia, like watching a movie while charging. (Well, 22 minutes of one, anyway.) 

In place of a discrete instrument cluster, a 25-inch (virtual) head-up display projects speed, nav and driver-assistance info onto the windshield. Audio comes via a Bang & Olufsen Premier 3D system with 25 speakers, including motorized Acoustic Lens Technology tweeters at both ends of the dash, and 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos with a Virtual Venue mode that recreates the acoustics of venues like Boston Symphony Hall and Wembley Stadium — a possible answer to Volvo and Bowers & Wilkins’ Abbey Road Studio mode in the EX90.

Highlighting the EV’s drive assistance suite, Remote Smart Parking Assist 3 handles automatic parking and exiting with a single touch, while Memory Reversing Assist remembers the vehicle’s forward path to automatically steer when backing out of narrow alleys or parking spaces.

Minimalist exterior, maximalist price

The SUV measures 208.1 inches bumper-to-bumper on a 127.8-inch wheelbase — about 9 inches longer (+4.6in WB) than the Ioniq 9, but 16.2 inches shorter (-8.4in WB) than the gargantuan Cadillac Escalade IQ, perhaps its largest luxury electric competitor. The exterior is admirable for its commitment to a concept-car-level of minimalism: a clamshell hood keeps panel lines to a minimum, and “Wing Face” headlamps stretch around the nose, broken only by the wheel arches, hiding a Micro Lens Array of LEDs in a slim signature. (Normally, vehicles with such slim, light signatures hide the real headlights in pods lower on the bumper — not so here.)

It’s good that the cabin can double as a living room, because this thing will cost as much as a house. Genesis hasn’t detailed pricing, but given the hardware — especially that battery — and the targeted competition, expect a start north of $100,000, climbing to $150,000 for the GV90 Neolun.

That’s aspirational pricing for Genesis, but the ultra-exclusive GV90 Neolun First Edition, also unveiled on Wednesday night, will likely command Mercedes-Maybach money. This Executive Suite four-seat version of the Neolun gets two-tone paint, body-color 24-inch forged wheels, wool-cashmere interior garnishes and “First Edition-exclusive” logo engraving on the Crystal Sphere Controller, headrests and doorsteps. Neat, but too rich for my blood.

Antuan Goodwin

Senior Writer, Electrified Cars

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Antuan has nearly 20 years of expertise and experience testing hundreds of cars, including electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, hydrogen, and traditional combustion vehicles.

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The new Volvo EX60 is arguably the most important car Volvo could launch right now. It’s an all-electric SUV replacing the most popular car Volvo has ever sold. That’s no mean feat already. And having driven around 700 miles in the EX60 so far, I’m already impressed with what I’ve seen. 

So why is this car so critical for Volvo? It’s essentially replacing the gas-powered XC60, and that car has been Volvo’s best-selling model ever in the nearly two decades since its launch in 2008. The landscape has changed significantly since then, and the market is more competitive than ever, with a host of Chinese brands (like BYD, Chery, Jaecoo and others) offering vehicles at more competitive prices than most established European brands can match. 

Volvo needs the EX60 to appeal in the same way the XC60 did. As CNET Senior Writer Antuan Goodwin puts it, “This feels like a make-or-break moment for the brand’s EV ambitions.” 

Starting at $59,795 (£56,860) for the base P6 model or $62,145 (£59,860) for the longer-range P10, the electric SUV is competitively priced against luxury rivals from BMW, Mercedes and Audi. But with purse strings tightening the world over, the vehicle needs to work hard to tempt people away from cheaper Chinese options. 

Thankfully, I think the Volvo has a hell of a lot to offer. I’ve been testing the all-wheel drive P10 model in its Ultra spec ($68,745 or £65,360, on the road), and it’s already rocketed up my list of top cars I’ve tested. It’s big, commanding its place on the road, with a welcomingly roomy interior. It also packs a battery big enough that I can start forgetting about range anxiety. 

Volvo quotes up to 410 miles for the P10, though that’s based on the more generous WLTP fuel consumption and emissions testing; EPA figures in the US put it at 310 miles, which I think is closer to the mark. I drove from the town of Chesterfield in central England to my home of Edinburgh, Scotland — a roughly 265-mile run — on a single charge, starting with 95% and ending with 9%. I’ve not personally had an EV able to hit that sort of range before, especially considering almost every one of those miles was at fast highway speeds, where EVs are always significantly less efficient. 

But even if I did need to stop, it wouldn’t have been for long since the EX60 supports 400kW charging, which Volvo reckons will restore about 211 miles of range in just 10 minutes. That’s assuming you can find a 400kW charging station. In the US, the EX60 will have a native North American Charging Standard port, meaning it can charge at any of the 29,000 Tesla Superchargers without an adapter.

Volvo EX60: A comfortable cruise

Crucially, the car was a pleasure to be in for every mile of the trip. The cabin is light and airy, the seats are comfortable and the suspension offers a smooth ride, even on some of Britain’s less-maintained stretches of highway. I even like the surprisingly small squared-circle steering wheel. 

The EX60 will comfortably seat five, and the rear seats fold fully flat, giving enough space for a 6-foot-2-inch tall man like myself to get in and lay down. And trust me, I did test this as I fully intend to use it for car camping. Those of you with kids or massive dogs, or who want to haul around a small punk band’s entire stage setup, will be well catered for with the amount of internal space.

The SUV’s got a heap of tech on board, at least in the Ultra spec I was driving. There’s an electrochromatic roof that dims at the push of a button, a 28-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio setup (supporting Dolby Atmos) and a new seatbelt system that automatically adapts to the body shape, size and weight of whoever is using it to allow for a safer level of resistance in an emergency situation. Volvo says this is a first of its kind. 

And yes, it has standard driving assistance tools like adaptive cruise control and lane assist, which made my long-distance first drive a breeze. Google’s Gemini AI is baked in for voice control of various features, though I haven’t found a need to try that out just yet. Frustratingly, Apple CarPlay isn’t available, though I’m told it’s coming soon in an over-the-air update.

The result is a car that feels luxuriously comfortable and capable on the road. It’s fast off the line, too, and despite the weight of the batteries inside, it handles corners well. I haven’t driven an XC60, so I can’t say how this car directly compares. But I have driven a variety of EVs, from the much more expensive Lotus Eletre to the new Ford Capri, and I can say that the EX60 is the one that’s impressed me most so far. 

But this is Day 1 for me. I’ve got three months to put it through its paces in Scotland, across the UK and into wider Europe. As a tech journalist, I have high expectations for the ride and its features. I’m not one to be forgiving of early teething troubles that should have been ironed out already, so I won’t be pulling my punches if something rears its head. 

But based on the 10 or so hours I’ve spent inside it so far, I’m optimistic that Volvo has built something good. Whether it’s the standout vehicle that will break the XC60’s sales records remains to be seen. 

Andrew Lanxon

Editor at Large; Lead Photographer, Europe

When he’s not testing the latest phones or phone cameras, Andrew can normally be found with his own camera in hand or behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food — sometimes all at once.

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