Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Android lets you'bubble' apps for easy access now - how it works Keep your most-used apps accessible with this new feature. Artie Beaty is a freelance writer, based just outside Charlotte, with a passion for smart home tech and tech news. Android 17 has introduced app bubbles. You can isolate an app so its icon is always on top.

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Please don't use AI hacks to debloat your TV There are easier and safer ways to fix your smart TV's problems The AI bros are on it. Over the past week, several developers claim to have "hacked" their TVs with AI, making them faster and less privacy-invasive using tools like Claude Code. On sites like X and YouTube, they've been posting about their exploits and racking up millions of views in the process.

Getting Technical with Mashable Look Up Mashable's Best: E-readers, robovacs, laptops, earbuds, smart home and more Mashable Selects Gift Ideas For Everyone On Your List Say More Versus Trending Now In My Bag Mashable @Home Top creators, ranked Creator Playbook All Series Some TV owners are asking Claude Code to clear out the junk so they can just watch their shows. Olivia Tauber is the deputy editor of digital culture, covering creators, media, movies, beauty, and more. Based in New York, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, The Cut, Teen Vogue, Complex, and Interview Magazine. She holds a Master's degree in Journalism from NYU and a Bachelor's from the University of Michigan. She also runs Fan Mail, a weekly pop-culture newsletter.

With customizable "faces," this 7-inch smart display is a unique hybrid between an iPhone and an Apple Watch. The company launched the first MacBook Neo, unveiled its first folding iPhone in September, and installed a new CEO for the first time in 15 years . Now comes the Apple HomeView, Apple's first smart display . Rivals like Google and Amazon have made countless screen-enabled smart speakers since voice assistants invaded the home a decade ago. But Apple stuck with a smaller smart home ecosystem centered on its HomePod speakers, even removing the iPad as a hub device a few years ago, which forced users to buy an Apple TV or HomePod to get started.

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Is the new Fire TV Stick 4K really faster? Last week, Amazon launched a new Fire TV Stick 4K with a bold claim: It's nearly 20 to 40 percent faster, the company says, than "a similarly priced 4K streaming stick from another leading brand." Amazon won't name the competitor, but in my own tests, the advantage over comparably priced streamers isn't so clear-cut.

Fox's reported $22 billion acquisition of Roku, the leading US streaming platform reaching 100 million homes, is causing consumer anxiety and prompting searches for alternatives. PCWorld notes that while users can expect increased Fox content promotion and targeted advertising through data sharing, concerns about immediate changes may be overblown since the deal won't close until 2027. Alternative platforms like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Google TV each offer different trade-offs in privacy, customization, and cost, but all have their own promotional limitations. Fox is planning to acquire Roku for $22 billion, and a lot of folks are already preparing for the worst. I've already received a half-dozen questions from readers about Roku alternatives to consider.

PCWorld explains how to navigate Roku's biggest home screen redesign in over a decade, featuring recommendation rows, quick action tiles, and genre subsections. The permanent update aims to improve content discovery but may frustrate long-time users with limited customization options and automatic changes. Key adjustments include hiding recommendation rows, pinning favorite apps to Quick Access, and manually updating subscription lists for better accuracy. Detailed instructions are provided below. Roku is shaking up its home screen with its most substantial changes in over a decade.

DIY Tech Hacks iOS 26 adds a new app to your iPhone. Here's how to use it. You're not imagining it--there is a new app on your iPhone. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Apple's big iOS 26 software update for 2025 has now reached millions of iPhones, and brought with it a bunch of new features and an updated visual interface.

A couple weeks ago, a reader asked me about the best streaming TV setup for a 90-year-old neighbor who is not tech-savvy. My mind immediately jumped to Roku, whose smart TVs and streaming players have always emphasized simplicity. But I also know that Roku's streaming platform has become more complicated in recent years, and its once-basic menu system is not what it used to be. While I'd still recommend Roku to someone who's on the lower end of the tech learning curve, our neighbor in this scenario would benefit from some out-of-the-box settings tweaks. Whether you're setting up a Roku for yourself of someone else, here's how to make the streamer as easy to use as possible: Roku is now requiring new users to put a payment method on file during setup.

Netflix is giving its TV user interface a major overhaul. Alongside a fresh, cleaner look, you'll see recommendations that adapt to your activity as Netflix tries to better gauge what you might be in the mood to watch. The company plans to roll out the update over the coming weeks and months. It seems that the aim here, as has long been a goal for Netflix, is to help you find something you want to watch faster. That way, you won't spend an eternity scrolling through the various options while struggling to figure out what to start streaming.