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.

A steeper $350 discount on Apple’s M5 MacBook Pro with a 96W USB-C power adapter is in effect now, bringing the price down to just $1,669.

A steeper discount has landed at B&H on Apple’s M5 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 96W USB-C power adapter.

Now marked down to $1,669, this deal reflects a $350 discount off MSRP for the laptop in Space Black, with free 2-day delivery thrown in when shipped within the contiguous U.S.

Buy M5 MacBook Pro 96W for $1,669

This configuration has the 10-core M5 chip, along with 16GB of unified memory and 1TB of storage. The 96W USB-C power adapter is a $20 upgrade compared to the standard 70W adapter normally included with the system.

To put the deal in perspective, Amazon is selling the same M5/16GB/1TB spec with the cheaper 70W adapter for $1,849, $180 more than B&H.

There are plenty of additional offers in effect across the M5, M5 Pro, and M5 Max range, so it’s worth checking out highlights below, with a comprehensive comparison of offers in our MacBook Price Guide.

Today’s best 14-inch MacBook Pro deals

• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 (10C CPU, 10C GPU, 16GB, 1TB, Standard Display, 96W Adapter): $1,669 ($350 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 (10C CPU, 10C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display, 96W Adapter): $2,199 ($320 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (15C CPU, 16C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display): $2,299 ($200 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (15C CPU, 16C GPU, 24GB, 2TB, Standard Display): $2,599.99 ($400 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18C CPU, 20C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display): $2,349 ($350 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18C CPU, 20C GPU, 24GB, 2TB, Standard Display): $2,799 ($400 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 Max (18C CPU, 32C GPU, 36GB, 2TB, Standard Display): $3,599 ($500 off)
• 14″ MacBook Pro M5 Max (18C CPU, 32C GPU, 36GB, 4TB, Standard Display): $4,499.99 ($600 off)

Top 16-inch MacBook Pro markdowns

• 16″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18C CPU, 20C GPU, 24GB, 1TB, Standard Display): $2,759.99 ($240 off)
• 16″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18C CPU, 20C GPU, 48GB, 1TB, Standard Display): $3,299 ($300 off)
• 16″ MacBook Pro M5 Pro (18C CPU, 20C GPU, 64GB, 1TB, Standard Display): $3,599 ($400 off)
• 16″ MacBook Pro M5 Max (18C CPU, 32C GPU, 36GB, 2TB, Standard Display): $3,999 ($400 off)
• 16″ MacBook Pro M5 Max (18C CPU, 40C GPU, 48GB, 2TB, Standard Display): $4,499 ($500 off)

B&H states many deals have limited supply, so it’s worth shopping early to avoid missing out on the month-end savings.

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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Young Hungry Free lasted 14 years in S’pore’s fashion scene, and along the way, even caught Jisoo’s eye

When Winnie Ong started Young Hungry Free in 2012, she was 19, fresh out of her A Levels and taking what was supposed to be a one-year gap year.

She had no grand plans to build a full-fledged business. Instead, spent that year doing what she already loved—reworking clothes, experimenting with designs and figuring out how to turn her ideas into something people might actually want to wear.

Fourteen years on, that side project has grown into one of Singapore’s well-known homegrown fashion brands.

Here’s the story behind Young Hungry Free.

“It was simply all I had”

Winnie’s interest in fashion started long before she launched Young Hungry Free.

While she was still in school, she spent much of her free time thrifting for vintage clothes and turning them into pieces that felt more personal. Denim was a particular favourite.

She would cut, bleach and distress pieces, adding details until each one became unique.

She eventually started selling these reworked pieces as a small side hustle. At the time, however, she wasn’t thinking about building a business.

“I just genuinely enjoyed creating things that felt different,” she shares.

During her gap year, Winnie worked a retail job while continuing to experiment with clothes in her free time. It was during this period that she decided to turn her passion project into Young Hungry Free.

“It didn’t feel like I was making a particularly bold decision,” Winnie says, looking back. “It was simply all I had, and I wanted to give this idea a chance.”

At the time, she was earning around S$1,400 a month before CPF and took home about S$1,100. She asked for her salary in advance and used it to get Young Hungry Free off the ground.

Building around individuality

Winnie launched Young Hungry Free from her bedroom with a second-hand DSLR, learning almost everything through trial and error.

Looking back, she thinks starting young worked in her favour.

I didn’t overthink it. I wasn’t worried about whether I was qualified or experienced enough. I was simply curious enough to give it a try.

Winnie Ong, founder of Young Hungry Free

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But she wasn’t creating clothes simply for the sake of having another fashion label in the market. She had struggled to find pieces that reflected her own style and began to wonder if other people felt the same way.

Her answer was to build a brand around individuality.

Winnie doesn’t believe people fit neatly into a single aesthetic. The way someone dresses can change with their mood, the occasion or simply the version of themselves they want to express that day. Some days, that might mean dressing boldly; on others, something softer or more understated.

Getting people to understand that vision took time. Young Hungry Free’s style wasn’t common in Singapore at the time, so the response was slow in the beginning. But Winnie says that turned out to be a blessing.

The slower pace gave the brand room to experiment, make mistakes and gradually figure out what it should become.

“Trust isn’t built in a few launches, it compounds over time,” she says.

For Winnie, those early years also taught her that building a brand isn’t just about getting people to buy something. It’s about giving them enough reason to come back.

Learning to let go

As Young Hungry Free grew, Winnie also had to learn that creating a brand and running a business were two very different things.

In the early days, she handled almost everything herself, from designing and photographing collections to modelling, packing orders and replying to customer messages.

But as orders increased, so did the number of things she had to figure out.

She had to learn how to manage inventory, read a profit and loss statement, hire people and eventually build a team.

Going from working alone in her bedroom to having people trust Young Hungry Free with their careers changed how she viewed the business. It was no longer just a creative project that belonged to her—she was now responsible for building a company that other people could grow with.

That also meant learning when to step back.

For years, Winnie believed that being involved in every decision was how she protected the brand. But as Young Hungry Free grew, she realised that trying to oversee everything could become a bottleneck.

Today, she focuses primarily on creative direction, product development and thinking about where the brand should go next, while her team handles much of the day-to-day operations.

Keeping up with weekly launches

Young Hungry Free launches new designs or collections almost every week, but moving quickly doesn’t necessarily mean producing more.

Instead, the brand is intentional with its production, releasing smaller batches that can be quickly reordered if a design resonates with customers.

That approach, Winnie says, has allowed Young Hungry Free to stay agile while maintaining quality.

Customer feedback also plays a significant role in shaping what comes next.

Whether it’s through surveys, social media, TikTok LIVE or conversations with customers, the Young Hungry Free community has influenced many of the brand’s future collections.

Behind the scenes, every design starts in-house, before the team travels to China almost every month to source fabrics and materials. From there, each piece goes through multiple rounds of sampling to refine its fit, drape and feel before going into production.

Young Hungry Free works with long-term manufacturing partners in China, some of whom the brand has partnered with for more than a decade.

For Winnie, these relationships are one of the company’s biggest advantages.

“They understand our quality standards and the level of consistency we’re looking for,” she says. “I don’t think partnerships like that happen overnight.”

Making it to Blackpink’s stage

Young Hungry Free’s growth has also brought unexpected moments of recognition.

Ahead of Blackpink’s Singapore concert in 2025, Jisoo’s stylist contacted Young Hungry Free to request one of the brand’s designs. Jisoo later wore the piece during the performance.

There was no formal collaboration or campaign behind it. The stylist had simply come across the brand and selected the design.

For Young Hungry Free, the moment offered a glimpse of how far a homegrown label could reach beyond Singapore.

Good design can travel much further than you sometimes expect.

Winnie Ong, founder of Young Hungry Free

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Fourteen years on, Young Hungry Free is still evolving

For Winnie, perhaps the biggest milestone isn’t any single collection, collaboration or business achievement. It’s simply that Young Hungry Free is still around.

“Fashion is an incredibly competitive industry, and many brands don’t get the chance to grow over a long period of time,” she says. “The fact that we’ve been able to keep evolving, while remaining independent and staying true to who we are, is what I’m most grateful for.”

That ability to evolve has become increasingly important as the fashion industry changes. Consumer behaviour, technology and the way people shop have all shifted over the past 14 years, and Winnie expects that pace to continue.

Young Hungry Free has also evolved in how it connects with customers.

The brand previously operated a physical store, but has since returned its focus to digital. Still, Winnie says the experience reinforced something that can easily get lost online: the importance of knowing the people behind the purchases.

Meeting customers face-to-face, helping them style pieces and hearing their feedback in real time gave the team a different perspective. That’s why Young Hungry Free will continue exploring physical experiences and events.

Looking ahead, Winnie sees three areas of growth for Young Hungry Free: deepening its relationship with its community, expanding into new product categories and styles, and growing across Southeast Asia.

But she isn’t looking to expand simply for the sake of becoming bigger. For Winnie, it’s about continuing to build something people genuinely want to be part of.

“Young Hungry Free was never about creating clothes,” she says. “It was about understanding people.”

• Find out more about Young Hungry Free here.
• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

Featured Image Credit: Young Hungry Free/ Her World