Author: dailyguardian.ae

You might have asked Alexa to do plenty of dumb things over the years, but “figure out which of my washer’s 30 cycles actually means cold wash” might not have been one of them. Turns out, Amazon just built the toolkit that makes exactly that possible, and it’s rolling out across a genuinely huge list of brands today. So what’s actually changing for your smart home gadgets? Amazon’s launching a new AI-powered smart home developer toolkit that lets device makers plug their full feature set into Alexa+ instead of forcing you to dig through app menus yourself.  Amazon says customers…

If you’ve been curious about Xbox Cloud Gaming but didn’t want another monthly subscription, Microsoft may have a new option for you. The company is testing a free, ad-supported version of Xbox Cloud Gaming for Xbox Insiders, allowing eligible players to stream select games they already own without a Game Pass membership. However, you’ll have to watch a short advertisement before your session begins. Microsoft says the ads will never interrupt gameplay, making this an early test of whether a simple tradeoff can bring cloud gaming to more players. How does free Xbox cloud gaming work? The trial is currently…

Your smart TV may know far more about your viewing habits than you realize, even if you rarely use its smart features. In a new privacy explainer, Proton warns that many modern TVs quietly collect data about everything displayed on the screen and share it with manufacturers, advertisers, and analytics companies. The worrying part is that escaping this tracking is becoming increasingly difficult because many privacy controls are buried deep in settings or enabled by default. Proton argues that buying a smart TV today often means accepting a level of surveillance that most people never knowingly signed up for. How…

If you own an LG smart TV, there’s a chance one of your harmless-looking apps has been moonlighting as an internet relay for someone else’s traffic. According to a report from KrebsOnSecurity, LG says it’s finally stepping in to stop this menace. This week, the company confirmed it plans to suspend any webOS app that turns a TV into what’s called a residential proxy node. The move follows a report from security firm Spur, which found that more than 42 percent of apps on LG’s webOS store include SDKs that quietly reroute internet traffic through your TV, indefinitely. Samsung isn’t…

FIRE AND FLAVOUR: RODEO DRIVE IBN BATTUTA GATE TEASES THE LAUNCH ITS NEW FOOD MENU A menu shaped by open flame, bold flavours and a chef with “American comfort food” flowing in his veins Dubai, UAE, July 2026: Rodeo Drive, Ibn Battuta Gate is set to launch its revamped food menu that reenvisions that homely, authentic All American grill house feeling. Brought to life by a chef whose cooking draws on decades spent across Mexico, Texas and Dubai. Built around the restaurant’s centrepiece Asado Grill, especially imported from the U.S.A., to cook over open flame, flawlessly seasoned meats and seafood.…

Prime Video‘s home screen has looked the same for years, with rows of tiles that rarely matches what you actually want to watch. Amazon is betting AI can change that, and Jeff Bezos is personally driving the effort. Bezos reportedly directed Prime Video head Mike Hopkins to overhaul the streaming service so AI sits front and center, according to Reuters. The project carries an internal codename, Lighthouse, and it’s already reshaping how the app might work. What’s changing on Prime Video? The redesign would rebuild the home page around AI-generated recommendations instead of the fixed grid every subscriber currently sees.…

The UAE continues to attract international companies as a major employment market and base for Middle East growth. Its private sector workforce grew by 12.4% in 2025 and a further 2.5% in Q1 2026, according to MoHRE. Yet successful entry requires early planning, as every hire carries implications for licensing, sponsorship, employment law and operating control. Startup diverse international businesspeople shaking hands Aethra Advisory outlines the functional international playbook for designing the right workforce model before expansion begins. Compliance is more layered than expected Compliance is often reduced to obtaining a visa and issuing an employment contract.  In reality, it…

Losing access to a Google account is rarely a quick fix, but Google has been actively working to make things easier. Last year, the company introduced a feature called Recovery Contacts that lets you designate a trusted friend or family member to verify your identity if you ever get locked out. Now, Google has introduced a new option, one that uses your face to get you back in instead of a phone call to a friend. Like Recovery Contacts, the new selfie video authentication feature requires some setup before you can use your face to sign into your Google account.…

Ride-hailing has become part of everyday movement across the UAE, supporting journeys to offices, airports, shopping destinations and public transport hubs. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority reported that public transport, shared mobility and taxis served 802.1 million riders in 2025, showing the scale of demand for connected urban transport. That scale has raised passenger expectations, and they judge a ride before the vehicle arrives. Yango Ride, the ride-hailing service and part of global tech company Yango Group, identifies the five key expectations that influence ride-booking decisions across the UAE. Reliability and convenience when time is limited A ride is useful…

Ultrahuman is rolling out Emerald today, its biggest platform update in four years. If you own an Ultrahuman Ring Air, Ring Pro, or any of its other health devices, your app is about to look and feel very different. What is UltraSphere, and why does it matter? The big update is the UltraSphere, a decision engine Ultrahuman claims is a first for a smart ring. Instead of throwing another chart at you, it sits front and center on the home screen and hands out more than 60 Next Best Actions based on your sleep, recovery, HRV, stress, movement, and even…