If you're a smartphone owner--and chances are that's everyone reading this--you've probably encountered an eerie, but all too common scenario: One day you're talking about a random topic while your phone is next to you and the following day you notice ads start popping up related to that same topic. How do these ads know what you were talking about? Your smartphone may be the culprit. Every smartphone has its built-in microphone constantly turned on in order for the virtual assistant to hear your voice commands. So, could it be that these devices are also secretly eavesdropping on your conversations in order to serve you ads? Here's everything you need to know, plus a simple test to find out.

If you use Google Chrome on your mobile phone, or if you have a modern Android phone, then you've probably stumbled across the Discover feed at some point. The Discover feed is available on Chrome's mobile New Tab page, in the Google app, and on the home screen (by swiping right). Soon, it'll also be available on desktop PCs. Google Discover is a personalized recommendation engine that shows you articles from around the web that Google thinks you'd be interested in. The recommendations are based on various factors like your location, your browsing history, your opted-in interests, and more.

This week, Engadget's Sam Rutherford dives into his experience with Google's new 499 mid-range smartphone, the Pixel 9a. Is it really the new mid-range king, as we previously predicted? Or is it worth spending more for the Pixel 9? Also, we chat about how the Trump administration's volatile tariff strategy will affect consumer technology (not to mention everything else you buy). Tariff Watch: Switch 2 preorders delayed, Razer pauses laptop sales in the U.S. – 30:27 Samsung's Ballie robot with Google Gemini arrives this Summer (allegedly) – 43:31

If you're a smartphone owner--and chances are that's everyone reading this--you've probably encountered an eerie, but all too common scenario: One day you're talking about a random topic while your phone is next to you and the following day you notice ads start popping up related to that same topic. How do these ads know what you were talking about? Your smartphone may be the culprit. Every smartphone has its built-in microphone constantly turned on in order for the virtual assistant to hear your voice commands. So, could it be that these devices are also secretly eavesdropping on your conversations in order to serve you ads? Here's everything you need to know, plus a simple test to find out.

Apple's new iPad Air is here, but you wouldn't know it just by looking at it. For this version, Apple decided to leave the tablet unchanged on the outside, save for the new (optional) Magic Keyboard. Inside, however, the Air has Apple's M3 chip, which means it supports Apple Intelligence, the company's AI assistant. Once again, the iPad Air comes in two sizes, one with an 11-inch display, and the other with a 13-inch display. For my Apple iPad Air (M3) review, I tested the 13-inch version.

Motorola started the year off strong. The 2025 Moto G and Moto G Power proved to be solid midrange smartphones thanks to their lengthy battery life, high-definition screens, and decent camera systems. Now the company has announced a third model: the 2025 Moto G Stylus. As the name reveals, this model has a built-in stylus to help users jot down notes, navigate the UI, and enable better interactions with such key features as Sketch to Image, which utilizes artificial intelligence to bring crude drawings to life within the Moto Note app. There's also Google's Circle to Search, which lets owners look up on-screen items on the search engine just by circling them.

SAVE 200: As of April 8, the Google Pixel 9 is on sale for 699.99 at Amazon. Amazon's Daily Deals is the perfect place for discounts and deals. You'll find lots of great bargains on anything from TVs to smartphones. But we really love this latest deal on the Google Pixel 9. It's a great all-rounder -- just check out our review to see what we thought. As of April 8, you can find this model at Amazon for 22% off, now just 699.99. This deal is for the 256GB option is available across all colorways.

Apple typically pushes out major iOS upgrades every September, alongside new iPhones--you may recall the launch of iOS 18. Those big software upgrades are followed by'point' releases that squash outstanding bugs, improve security and stability, and occasionally introduce new features. That's the case with iOS 18.4, which brings more with it than most minor iOS updates. From extra tools in Image Playground, to ambient music to relax you or send you off to sleep, here's what's new in the iOS 18 update. Apple Intelligence can now prioritize iPhone notifications, selecting which you need to see first and create AI-written summaries.

Later than expected, Google has begun rolling a pair of new Gemini Live features to Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25 devices. The company first previewed Gemini live video and screensharing during Mobile World Congress in March. As you might have guessed from their names, the two features allow you to take advantage of Gemini's multi-modal capabilities to ask Google's chatbot questions about what you see in front of your or on your phone's screen. It's here: ask Gemini about anything you see. If you don't own a Pixel 9 or Galaxy S25, Google says you can still access the new features through the Gemini app on Android.

Sign up for our daily newsletter to get the best of The New Yorker in your inbox. The microchip maker Nvidia is a Silicon Valley colossus. After years as a runner-up to Intel and Qualcomm, Nvidia has all but cornered the market on the parallel processors essential for artificial-intelligence programs like ChatGPT. "Nvidia was there at the beginning of A.I.," the tech journalist Stephen Witt tells David Remnick. "They really kind of made these systems work for the first time. We think of A.I. as a software revolution, something called neural nets, but A.I. is also a hardware revolution."