This $9 key physically locks your most addictive apps | TechCrunch
This $9 NFC key requires you to physically scan it to unlock distracting apps on your phone.
Gadgets
1,409 stories
What’s the best handheld mini fan?
From premium Shark and Dyson offerings to random Amazon devices, these mini fans will make your sweaty summer a little more managable.
With Switch 2, iPhone, and laptop tricks, the Sharge Disk Pro 2 is finally a worthy EDC
Hands-on the Sharge Disk Pro 2, an SSD enclosure that doubles as a USB-C to HDMI dock, one that even works with the Nintendo Switch 2.
Microsoft wants to make Windows work better with 8GB of RAM.
And that’s a good thing, because its own 8GB Surface Laptop 13 struggles so much that it’s a tough buy. Microsoft’s other new areas of “focus” include making Windows onboarding and family controls easier to set up and making “voice [control] more natural and fluid” across apps. [Link: Windows quality: an update on the commitment we made in March | https://blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2026/07/31/windows-quality-an-update-on-the-commitment-we-made-in-march/ | Windows Insider Blog]
Apple stockpiles inventory as it braces for 'significant supply constraints' | TechCrunch
Apple is worried enough about supply shortages that it reported about $11.1 billion in inventory, which is almost double the $5.7 billion it reported last September.
I just want this little yellow ball to be real.
I’ve accepted that Samsung’s Ballie robot may never come out after disappearing from CES 2026. It was one of the cutest and most exciting robots ever… as of six years ago. SammyGuru has a look today at some “early UI design sketches” reminding us of what could have been. [Link: Exclusive: Here's Your First Look at Samsung's Ballie App UI | https://sammyguru.com/samsung-ballie-app-ui-design/ | SammyGuru]
Zoox can now charge for rides in its steering-wheel-free robotaxis
Zoox has won approval to charge for robotaxi rides in the US. Under an exemption from the NHTSA, Zoox can deploy up to 5,000 vehicles over the next two years.
A second lens makes DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4P my new favorite video camera
The Pocket 4P is bigger than DJI’s original Osmo Pocket 4 thanks to its second telephoto, but definitely better.
Samsung’s smartphone biz posts first ever loss, but profit still soars 1,300 percent on RAM.
Samsung Electronic’s memory chip business is killing it, hitting $49.64 billion for the quarter and driving over 99 percent of its operating profit. But the price gouging created by the AI hype caused its smartphone and home-appliance businesses to post modest operating losses due to the higher cost of chips and other components. [Link: Samsung Sees Chip Crunch Through 2028 as Profit Soars to Record | https://www.wsj.com/tech/samsungs-chip-earnings-push-net-profit-to-record-cf8711bc | WSJ]
Today’s Vergecast: The Z Fold 8 is the new foldable to beat.
The wide foldable is here, and it’s glorious. The Verge’s Dominic Preston has been reviewing Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, and joins the show to explain what this shorter, wider device gets right, what it’s still missing, and why this looks like the right kind of foldable for most people. (Once the price comes down, anyway.) With a similar foldable iPhone likely coming soon, it’s shaping up to be a fun year of foldables. Watch | Listen | Get ad-free [Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY6WXdwTbo4]
Google brings its age-assurance technology to Android developers worldwide | TechCrunch
Google is expanding its Play Age Signals API, giving Android developers a privacy-preserving way to tailor experiences based on users’ age ranges.
Samsung is rushing to make more RAM to stop Apple from looking elsewhere.
As we trudge through RAMageddon, Samsung is allegedly rushing to create new production lines, at least in part, to keep Apple from pursuing other vendors. Just yesterday, Chinese memory company CXMT became the most valuable company on Shanghai’s STAR market, and Tim Cook has reportedly been asking for permission to buy memory from the company amid the shortage. [Link: Samsung works to increase supply so that Apple doesn't buy Chinese memory | https://www.sammobile.com/news/samsung-works-to-increase-supply-so-that-apple-doesnt-buy-chinese-memory/ | SamMobile]
Apple launches 'Upgrade' device leasing program in partnership with Klarna | TechCrunch
The rollout of the program comes as Apple has been struggling with supply chain issues related to "RAMageddon," which refers to the industry-wide shortage of memory chips that is driving up the price of hardware.
You don’t need to splurge on an expensive handheld fan to beat the heat
I impulse-purchased a pair of cheap JisuLife fans from Costco, and they’ve been the best thing I’ve bought all summer.
This is my new favorite laptop, but thanks to RAMageddon the price already went up by $800
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro is a repairable and upgradeable notebook with modular ports and MacBook Pro-level build quality. It also has a high price thanks to RAMageddon.
Can Apple make smart glasses that aren’t a constant privacy threat? | TechCrunch
As Apple prepares to launch its first smart glasses, the company may also be wrestling with how to address consumer privacy concerns.
Forget expensive sleepbuds. Buy this pillow instead
Don’t bother buying $200 sleepbuds when a $50 pillow designed to relieve pain from new ear piercings works with your existing earbuds for a quarter of the price.
Facebook considers giving up and becoming TikTok
Facebook will begin testing a “reimagined experience” later this year that will put a subset of users into a “full-screen video the moment they open the app.”