The long-awaited Apple TV app for Android mobile devices has officially launched on the Google Play Store, providing Android users access to original series and movies on Apple TV+ (currently offered as a seven-day free trial), in addition to MLS Season Pass (in time for Major League Soccer’s 2025 season that begins the weekend of February 22). Apple TV+ also offers a Major League Baseball double-header on Fridays with no local broadcast restrictions. Subscriptions to Apple TV+ and MLS Season Pass are available through Google Play accounts for Android mobile and Google TV devices. The Apple TV+ subscription presently runs $9.99 per month. Continue reading Apple TV App Is Available via Google Play for Android Devices

Chinese phone manufacturer Oppo has developed what it is calling the world’s thinnest book-style foldable phone. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the Oppo Find N5 runs on Android and includes Google’s Gemini AI to power its Oppo AI intelligent features. The company has put a lot of effort into reducing the visibility of the display’s crease, said to be imperceptible at certain angles and nearly impossible to detect by touch. Beyond that, it has IPX6/IPX8/IPX9 water resistance ratings and 50W wireless charging. The Oppo Find N5 is scheduled for global release on February 20. Continue reading Oppo Find N5 Is World’s Thinnest ‘Book-Style’ Foldable Phone

Google has initiated a flurry of AI activity following the recent collection of Chinese AI releases. The Alphabet company has launched an experimental version of a new flagship AI model, Gemini 2.0 Pro. Its premiere coding and complex questions model is now available in Google AI Studio, Vertex AI and the Gemini Advanced app. The company has also made its general-purpose “workhorse” model, Gemini 2.0 Flash, available in general release via the Gemini API in AI Studio and Vertex. This follows last week’s announcement that Gemini 2.0 Flash is powering the Gemini app for desktop and mobile. Continue reading Google Adds Gemini Flash Thinking to Search, Maps and More

Apple Invites is a new app that helps iPhone users create and share custom invitations, send RSVPs, and add information to calendars. The app also facilitates contributions to shared photo albums and Apple Music playlists. Users can download Apple Invites from the App Store or access it on the web through icloud.com/invites. An iCloud+ premium subscription is necessary to create and send invitations, but anyone can RSVP and share in group activities, regardless of whether they have an Apple account or use iOS or Android. Additionally, the Invites app integrates with Apple Intelligence. Continue reading Apple’s ‘Invites’ App Does More Than Build Custom Invitations

Google is batting back against malware and backdoor computer infection by adding VPN app verification at the Google Play Store that includes a badge for trusted downloads. Google has indicated that simply selecting reputable brand-name VPNs (virtual private networks) is no longer an effective way of avoiding trouble, as nefarious actors have found ways to infect legitimate VPN apps with malware. Last month, the Google Managed Defense team warned that malware known as Playfulghost had reportedly infected some popular VPNs, using them to inject malware and remotely control infected devices. Continue reading Google Fights VPN Malware with Play Store Verification Badge

Netflix has finally added a much-requested Season Download button for iOS that allows subscribers who use iPhones and iPads to download a complete season of episodes with one tap. Whether getting ready for a long flight or just looking to spend an evening binge-watching “Squid Games” or “Bridgerton” on a mobile device, the update provides a convenience. “On a show’s display page, look for the button right next to the Share option. Tap it, and the entire season will start downloading automatically — no more downloading episodes one at a time,” Netflix tells Apple fans. Continue reading Netflix Adds One-Click Full-Season Downloads for iOS Users

Bookshop.org was launched in 2020 as a way for local bookstores to compete nationally against top names such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. The outlet lets independent bookstores — even those without websites — set up a storefront on Bookshop.org, creating curated lists and themed pages. Readers could then visit these virtual bookstores and select one as their preferred shop. The idea was to bring local bookstore charm to the generic experiences available through larger services, and it has been called a lifeline for small shops. Now the company is adding ebooks with a reader app for Android, iOS and the Web. Continue reading Bookshop.org Adds Ebooks to Help Level Field for Indie Sellers

Meta is rolling out personalization updates to its Meta AI personal assistant. At the end of last year, the company introduced a feature that lets Meta AI remember what you’ve shared with it in one-on-one chats on WhatsApp and Messenger so it could produce more relevant responses. That feature will now be available to Meta AI on Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp for iOS and Android in the U.S. and Canada. “Meta AI will only remember certain things you tell it in 1:1 conversations (not group chats), and you can delete its memories at any time,” explains the company. Continue reading Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp Get Meta AI Memory Boost

Free, ad-supported streaming video service Plex is introducing a new user interface and expanding its social media overlay, adding the ability for users to publicly share their Plex profiles and allow others to read and comment on their movie reviews. By default, all Plex users can be searched out by other Plex users within the app (unless they’ve changed that setting). Now, by opting to make profiles public on watch.plex.tv, they can be shared using the link and will also be searchable on the Web, showing what users have watched and have added to their watchlist, and more. California-based Plex offers ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) as well as linear FAST channels. Continue reading Plex Adds Public Profiles and Ways to Share Program Reviews

Perplexity joins the list of AI companies launching agents, debuting the Perplexity Assistant for Android. The tool uses reasoning, search, browsers and apps to help mobile users with daily tasks. Concurrently, Perplexity — independently founded in 2022 as a conversational AI search engine — has launched an API called Sonar intended for enterprise and developers who want real-time intelligent search, taking on heavyweights like Google, OpenAI and Anthropic. While to date AI search has largely been limited to answers informed by training data, which freezes their knowledge in time, next-gen tools can pull from the Internet in real time. Continue reading Perplexity Bows Real-Time AI Search Tool, Android Assistant

Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 line — the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+ and Galaxy S25 — will more tightly integrate AI, including AI agents, becoming “true AI companions” at a level previously unknown to mobile devices. That leap is credited largely to a “first-of-its-kind” Snapdragon 8 Elite customization for the Galaxy chipset that “delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI and superior camera range and control with Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine,” according to Samsung. In addition, the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra has been redesigned with a slightly larger 6.9-inch screen and rounded bevel. Continue reading Galaxy Unpacked: More AI for S25 and a Peek at AR Glasses

Play For Dream Technology made a splash at CES 2025 with a new mixed reality headset inspired by the Apple Vision Pro, which the startup described as “the world’s first Android-based spatial computer.” Play For Dream MR has been applauded by some analysts for its user interface, eye tracking, media capture and overall performance. The company, which announced a new strategic partnership with Tobii, is targeting consumers and B2B applications with “customized solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of various industries,” such as media, entertainment, gaming, medical, healthcare, education, research, automotive and aviation. Continue reading CES: Play For Dream Touts ‘World’s First’ Android MR Headset

Amazon is testing a new way to provide viewers with content recommendations with AI Topics, now in limited beta release for Prime Video. AI Topics eschews traditional recommendation algorithms in favor of AI that “discovers” Prime Video content based on a combination of viewing history and personal interests. Users can request “mind-bending sci-fi” or “fantasy quests,” then navigate seamlessly through topics curated for them that appear on the Prime Video home page. Once a topic is selected, movies, series and linear channels will populate alongside additional related topics. Continue reading Amazon Testing ‘AI Topics’ Recommendations for Prime Video

Reddit has launched a new AI-powered search tool called Reddit Answers. Reddit is already appearing regularly in Google Search returns. The new interface provides a way users can utilize a conversational model to get answers directly from the social platform. “Once a question is asked, curated summaries of relevant conversations and details across Reddit will appear, including links to related communities and posts,” according to Reddit. Whether users will want to skip their usual go-to search engines in favor of querying Reddit alone could have long term ramifications for the 19-year old social platform, which went public in 2023. Continue reading ‘Reddit Answers’ Wants to Gain More Users Searching In-App

“AI won’t exist as an app, or a button… it’ll be an entirely new environment built on top of a web browser.” That is the pitch from The Browser Company, the New York-based firm behind the Arc browser that is now developing an AI-first web interface called Dia, expected to debut early next year. Dia aims to leverage AI tools to simplify common Internet tasks. The repertoire is now a familiar one, with things like writing assists and inspirational prompts becoming AI givens in a competitive field where Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are already established. The Browser Company is trying to distinguish Dia with a simple, user-friendly interface. Continue reading The Browser Company is Building Dia, an AI-First Web Browser