Author: dailyguardian.ae

Google just shipped a genuinely useful upgrade for Google Home, based on the voice command feature, but there’s a catch buried in the fine print.  The most recent update lets you ask for an exact light color by Kelvin values (or color temperature) and cleans up years of clunky broadcast commands. However, almost none of it works unless you’ve already opted into the early access program. So what are the actual voice command upgrades? In my opinion, color temperature control is the standout addition here. You can actually tell Gemini something like “set the living room lights to 2700 Kelvins”…

Self-driving cars have a persistent problem. When a driver’s attention drifts to a phone or a laptop, how do you pull their eyes back to the road fast enough to catch a hazard? A new study from the University of Glasgow suggests the answer might not be another beep or flashing light. It could be a small animated character that looks and points toward danger, like a person would. Adding a stronger cue closed the attention gap Researchers led by PhD candidate Thomas Goodge tested the idea using AR glasses on 48 volunteers seated in a driving simulator. Participants played…

Smart glasses are supposed to make it easier to capture moments without pulling out your phone. But when that moment happens to be the latest movie playing inside a theater, things get a little more complicated. Cinemas across the UK are considering restrictions on camera-equipped smart glasses, including Meta’s Ray-Ban, over concerns that people could use them to secretly record and pirate movies. The UK Cinema Association (UKCA), which represents cinema operators across the country, says some venues are looking at policies that would either restrict or completely prohibit camera-enabled glasses. There don’t appear to be any widespread bans among…

Marketing is an essential part of business growth, but launching a campaign can be a costly endeavor. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are lowering this barrier to entry, making marketing cheaper and more accessible; at the same time, they have made differentiation more difficult. As brands rely on AI to produce content at scale, they must ask themselves how to find originality in the haystack. Creativity at the Core Memorable marketing, experts like Ana Marturet argue, begins with creative thinking long before AI becomes part of the process. Brands aren’t marketing to AI agents, but human consumers capable of distinguishing between…

Volkswagen has launched a new sedan in China that may raise a few eyebrows for what it offers – and what it costs. The ID. Era 5S starts at just 89,900 yuan, or around $13,400, yet it combines a plug-in hybrid powertrain with up to 160km of electric-only range. The car was officially unveiled at the 2026 Chengdu Auto Show and is the second sedan in Volkswagen’s China-only ID. Era lineup. Built through the SAIC-Volkswagen joint venture, the 5S is aimed squarely at China’s increasingly competitive market for affordable new-energy vehicles. Volkswagen is chasing China’s budget EV market Price is…

Netflix‘s library goes far beyond the algorithm-driven hits everyone already knows about. This is why I dug through some overlooked titles to create this week’s lineup. It ranges from a chilling historical mystery to a horror film rooted in real trauma to a dark comedy. Make sure you add these three Netflix movies to your watchlist this weekend. We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free movies, and the best movies on Amazon Prime Video. The Wonder (2022) Genre: Mystery, dramaIMDb: 6.6/10Rotten Tomatoes: 84%…

Peacock has quietly built a library of shows that never got the mainstream spotlight they deserved. I dug through some hidden gems this week, and this week’s lineup ranges from a nun battling an all-powerful AI to a vacation mystery gone sideways to a heartfelt medical drama. Whether you want something bizarre, funny, or deeply human, there is a pick here for you. Here are three overlooked TV series on Peacock worth adding to your watchlist. We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best free…

Sixty thousand charge cycles for industrial or grid-scale batteries is the kind of number that sounds like a typo at first, but Australian researchers say their new battery technology actually achieves it. A team at Flinders University has solved a longstanding stability problem in water-based zinc-iodine batteries. It opens the door to energy storage systems that barely degrade even after decades of daily recharges. What did the researchers figure out? Zinc-iodine batteries have long struggled with a specific problem. The iodine compounds can move away from the cathode (the positive electrode), attack the zinc electrode, and slowly damage the battery.…

Riot Games is ending active development of 2XKO, its ambitious League of Legends fighting game, in December 2026. The decision comes less than a year after its full launch, with Riot saying it simply hasn’t seen enough players stick around to put the game on a sustainable path. Importantly, 2XKO isn’t being shut down: its servers will remain online, and the game will continue to be playable. 2XKO isn’t dead… just mostly finished growing Riot says it spent the past few months tracking 2XKO’s revenue, retention, new-player numbers, and engagement, and while plenty of players gave the game a shot,…

Beijing Hyundai just opened pre-sales for the Ioniq V, a sleek mid-size sedan and the very first production model under Hyundai‘s new China-only Ioniq sub-brand. Pricing starts at 119,900 yuan, or roughly $17,600, and tops out at 139,900 yuan ($20,600) for the fully loaded trim. For context, America’s cheapest EV, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt, starts at $28,995, making the Ioniq V’s top trim still over $8,000 cheaper than the least expensive EV sold in the US today. Hyundai Ioniq V specs, price, and range across all three trims According to CarNewsChina, the lineup includes three variants: the 540 Max, 540…