The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Google's Gemini in Android Auto can now draw on Gmail, Calendar and Photos, so drivers can ask for a detail instead of opening several apps. It is off by default.
Read more: Android Auto's Gemini can now dig through your Gmail and CalendarFake delivery texts ask for a tiny fee on a look-alike carrier site, then collect your full card details. Here is how to spot the scam and what to do if you paid.
Read more: A $1.95 fake delivery fee text can hand over your card numberKMBC 9 News has launched Scam School, a series on spotting the warning signs of scam texts and calls so you can protect your money and your family.
Read more: A local TV series shows the warning signs of phone and text scamsA growing set of companies sell phones for kids that limit who can call and what they can see, with prices starting around $99.
Read more: Phones built for kids are booming, from $99 phones to landlinesAn old Android phone that no longer gets updates can still work as a webcam, backup internet, dashcam or car screen, and it costs little to set up.
Read more: Six useful second lives for an old Android phoneAI-made videos of well-known people are pushing fake investment platforms, and a quick web search may not expose them. Reports were tied to $7.4 million in losses.
Read more: Scammers use fake celebrity videos to push bogus investmentsDelhi Police say fake gift messages, fake shops and fake courier calls are circulating before Diwali, all aimed at your bank details or your phone.
Read more: Delhi Police warn of Diwali scams: fake gifts, fake shops, fake couriersEngadget lists iPhone settings many people skip. A few minutes in Settings can stop a thief or a nosy friend from reaching your messages, money apps and location.
Read more: Five iPhone settings to change now so a thief or snoop gets nothingA writer paired a Samsung Galaxy phone with about $100 of add-ons to get a laptop-style setup, as a cheaper option than a roughly $1,000 Googlebook.
Read more: A $100 Setup Turns a Samsung Phone Into a Pocket LaptopAndroid has a built-in log that shows which apps send the most alerts. It is off by default, and a few minutes with it can quiet a noisy phone.
Read more: Your Android Phone Can Show Which Apps Bug You MostA phone screen that dims on its own is often caused by heat or a setting, not a broken phone. Checking a few things first can save a repair bill.
Read more: Why your phone screen keeps getting dimmer on its ownApple is expected to show the second iPhone Air next spring with two cameras and a bigger battery, but 9to5Mac says the thin phone still has gaps to close.
Read more: Apple's next thin iPhone needs to fix its biggest flawsSyncthing, a free open-source tool, copies phone photos straight to a Windows PC. One default setting can delete photos from your phone, so check it first.
Read more: A free tool backs up phone photos to your PC with no monthly feeThe System Data category in iPhone storage can swing from a few gigabytes to dozens. A restart often shrinks it, and it helps to know why it grows.
Read more: Why your iPhone's mystery System Data takes up so much spaceA Kuala Lumpur firm now sells a SGD 1,500 check of what ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google say about a named executive, after its founder's own test found mix-ups.
Read more: New Audit Checks What AI Chatbots Say About Business LeadersA How-To Geek writer shows how free apps and built-in settings give a non-Pixel Android phone the Pixel look, with no launcher swap, on Android 14 or newer.
Read more: Make Any Android Phone Look Like a Google Pixel for FreeAndroid 14 and later can turn a phone into a USB webcam with no extra software, and one reviewer says it beat the webcam on his desktop.
Read more: Your Android phone can work as a better webcam, no software neededOpenAI will put ChatGPT and Codex on one shared usage allowance for Plus, Pro and Business plans from December 2026, so heavy tasks may hit limits sooner.
Read more: OpenAI to put ChatGPT and Codex on one shared usage limitCookeville police say callers posing as officers are demanding money to clear a warrant. The department says it never does that, so the call is a scam.
Read more: Fake police callers in Cookeville demand money to clear warrantsThe European Commission says TikTok's personalized feed may harm mental health and break EU law. TikTok could face a fine and be forced to change how the feed works.
Read more: EU regulators say TikTok's endless feed may break the lawA How-To Geek writer tested four Gemini models and kept using the mid-tier Flash, not Google's newest and most capable Argon, for everyday planning.
Read more: Google's most powerful Gemini model isn't the one this writer usesApps your carrier preloaded can run in the background, using memory and power, and may make an Android phone feel slow and warm.
Read more: Apps your carrier preloaded may be slowing down your Android phoneA message about phishing training can be a real workplace test or a scam that copies one to steal your password. The name alone does not tell you which.
Read more: That 'phishing training' email could be a real test or a scamElgato's Stream Deck mobile app turns an old iPad or Android tablet into a streaming control panel. The free version is enough to start, and setup takes about five minutes.
Read more: Turn an old tablet into a live streaming control panel for free
