News

Google Pixel users might be drug dealers, Spanish cops say

Because of its open-source nature

Published

July 4, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Did you know that there is an enduring, semi-confirmed Hollywood myth that movie villains cannot be seen using an iPhone? During the press tour for the hit murder mystery Knives Out, director Rian Johnson revealed that the unwritten rule does exist. Now, if bad guys can’t use an iPhone, what phone should they use? Police in Spain have a strange answer: a Google Pixel.

In a report published by Catalan newspaper Ara, Catalonian authorities have named the Pixel as the smartphone of choice for drug dealers. “Every time we see a Google Pixel, we think it may be a drug dealer,” according to a translated statement from the police.

The strange association isn’t just a sign that Spanish criminals have a discerning taste for branded smartphones. According to InLab FIB’s René Serral, the Pixel’s indictment is mainly due to Android’s inherent nature as an open-source system. With Android, the Pixel “any operating system to be freely installed.”

For criminals, the software of choice is GrapheneOS, an operating system focused on security and privacy. Additionally, the system allows users to circumvent the Play Store. In effect, users can install any app they want outside Google’s surveillance.

It’s also a boon for organized crime that users can remotely scrub their phones without holding it themselves. This is especially useful when the police seize phones used by criminals.

To combat this, police have resorted to sealed bags which can prevent the phones from receiving a factory reset order from criminals. They are also using Trojans to access the phones without the user present.

For their part, GrapheneOS has decried the association with organized crime. To be fair to the operating system, association with criminal activity seems to be an unfortunate stereotype for privacy-oriented services. For example, despite offering a secure messaging platform, Telegram has also been implicated in criminal activity for providing a space for criminals to form groups outside the purview of the law.

SEE ALSO: Google Pixel 9a First Look

Enterprise

Google illegally destroys 250,000 trees for a single AI data center

This is what we stand to lose with data centers.

Published

October 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In the Philippines, it’s illegal to cut down a single tree without a permit. It’s a constant reminder that the preservation of nature should be a civil, besides being a moral, obligation. And yet, corporations are seemingly immune from obligations and morals. Google, the company that used to stand for “Don’t be evil,” shows off its true colors by illegally cutting down 250,000 trees in Finland for a datacenter.

As first reported by The Guardian, Finland is now staring at 330 hectares of land suddenly denuded of around 250,000 valuable trees, all thanks to Google. A local ecologist has also said that the company killed a further 150,000 trees at a separate site.

The environmental desecration is part of Google’s multibillion-dollar push to build data centers all over the world for artificial intelligence. Google has since been ordered to stop the development in the country after Finland found that the company acted without securing the needed assessments and permits to clear the area.

Google brushed away the report by saying that they acted “on the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time.” The company also said that they are protecting the water quality at the affected sites and committed to replanting trees across 130 hectares, a pale comparison to the total area affected.

Other AI companies are also trying to weasel their way into other countries to build data centers. An example is the controversial Pax Silica in the Philippines. Finland now stands as a cautionary tale against the unimpeded and unsupervised growth of data centers for a service that no one asked for.

Don’t be evil, my ass.

Accessories

Bose acquires Skullcandy

But both are still separate brands.

Published

October 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As one of the wisest sages of the 2000s once said, “He was a punk, she did ballet. What more can I say?” Sometimes, opposites attract. Now, two of those opposites in the audio space are coming together: the punk Skullcandy and the ballet-loving Bose.

Today, Bose has announced its acquisition of Skullcandy. The latter will continue to operate as a separate brand but now officially under the Bose umbrella. Although, it’s not a new collaboration as the two brands have previously worked together on devices before. Skullcandy will just have more access to Bose’s technologies moving forward.

Alternatively, Bose will now have access to Skullcandy’s more varied audience. Compared to Bose’s focus on premium products, Skullcandy caters to more alternative lifestyles. Though the brand has since mellowed from its more radical roots, it is still known as one of the alternative brands.

Bose, on the other hand, is still a household name for home audio and noise-cancelling headphones. The new relationship between two polar opposites might be seen as a weird one, but it’s ultimately beneficial to both parties. Besides, both brands were very strong in the 2010s. Keeping both brands going is a boon to audiophiles of the past decade.

Gaming

Next Xbox might cost double the price of an Xbox today

The most expensive Xbox Series X costs $900. The next Xbox’s price might double that.

Published

October 22, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Buying a new gaming setup must be one of the most torturous things you can purchase these days. The rising price of chips has hampered the buying ability of many a consumer today. Sadly, that trend isn’t changing anytime soon. According to new reports, the next Xbox might cost double of what an Xbox costs these days.

The next console is currently codenamed Project Helix. Spearheaded by relatively new Xbox CEO Asha Sherma, Project Helix has hopes of being an all-around gaming machine capable of playing PC games besides console exclusives. Sharma obviously wants the platform to come back as a worthy destination for gamers.

That’s a monumental task, though, especially after the rising prices of chips are constantly threatening the prices of new devices. Now, according to a profile of Sharma published by Fortune, the next Xbox might cost as high as US$ 1,800. For reference, the limited 25^th anniversary edition of the Xbox Series X currently costs US$ 899.

Should Fortune’s estimate hold true, a new console in the coming years is double the cost of the most expensive Xbox Series X variant available today. The next generation of gaming might be even more of a luxury than it already is.

Unfortunately, things aren’t getting better across the board. Gaming on PC and on PlayStation aren’t going to be much cheaper as the RAM crisis continues.