News

Google teams up with Samsung to fix Wear OS

The two have merged their operating systems

Published

May 19, 2021

Shivam Vahia

There was a rumor that Samsung will ditch Tizen OS in favor of Wear OS. As it turns out, Google and Samsung have teamed up to merge their smartwatch operating systems, resulting in a new platform called Wear.

At the Google I/O keynote, Google revealed it’s partnering with Samsung to create a new unified platform that includes the goodness of both. The next Galaxy-branded watch is confirmed to run on the new software and shall be launched later in the year.

The announcement was limited to teasers as Google and Samsung haven’t shared any screenshots of the new OS. Samsung’s contribution is expected to be significant on the hardware side as it’ll bring a new line of chips under the Exynos branding. Qualcomm’s chips haven’t worked as expected, ultimately pulling down the smartwatch platform.

Wear OS and Tizen

Wear is boasted to be 30 percent faster at launching apps while maintaining better battery life via low power cores. The new OS will also bring new functionality like turn-by-turn navigation on Google Maps, stream via YouTube Music, and more. Google has already teased apps like Strava, Adidas Running, and Bitmoji. Spotify has also announced that it’s rebuilding its app and bringing the ability to download apps and podcasts.

Android 12 has introduced Google’s Material You design, and it’ll also be an integral part of Wear. The merger looks perfect as Tizen has always got the basics right but struggles with third-party app support and a progressive ecosystem. Google, on the other hand, gets bogged down due to inefficient hardware.

The presentation also highlighted Google’s acquisition of Fitbit and how it has helped frame the new Wear platform. Popular Fitbit features like all-day fitness tracking, and goal-based motivation shall be coming to the new OS. Fitbit will also be building its own smartwatches based on Wear in the future.

Apple Watch has always dominated the smartwatch segment, and there was little Google could do. With the new merger, Wear OS finally gets enough firepower to justify its existence.

Related Topics:Fitbit Google Google I/O smartwatch Tizen Wear Wear OS

Apps

Canva teams up with SB19 to turn A’TIN’s passion into creativity

Campaign lets fans access assets, editable templates, more

Published

August 8, 2026

GadgetMatch

Canva Philippines has joined forces with SB19 and Sony Music Entertainment to launch the “Kaya sa Canva” campaign.

This first-of-its-kind initiative is aimed at transforming the popular Filipino boy band’s fanbase into creators by giving them access to official design assets, exclusive templates, and powerful creative tools.

That’s of course as fans have a way of creating artwork, banners, and more outputs to honor their idols.

As such, the partnership enables the A’TIN (SB19’s fanbase) to access the Canva-exclusive SB19’s Creative Hub.

This dedicated space lets fans access assets, including SB19-inspired sticker packs, custom typography, and editable templates inspired by the group.

Fans around the world will initially have access to templates for photo-booth strips, wallpapers, posters, and videos.

The campaign will then expand with Canva-exclusive assets celebrating the group’s New Era, as well as their latest single, “Lawless”.

Meanwhile, the original song “KAYA” is accompanied with an upbeat music video, doubling as a love letter to A’TIN and a masterclass in Canva’s tools.

Every visual and animation is fan-inspired, a celebration of the creativity, passion, and dedication that’s defined in the community from day one.

News

The iPhone 18 might sell out for an unexpected reason

The ongoing shortage might play a part in the phone selling out earlier than expected.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone selling out is not news. Because of how popular the phones are, it’s within the realm of probability that Apple runs out of stock at some point. According to a new report, this year won’t be any different… but it’s for an entirely different reason.

First reported by analyst Tim Culpan, Apple is reportedly struggling to meet its demand for semiconductors for the iPhone 18 and the foldable iPhone. The ongoing memory shortage is cutting off Apple’s ability to deliver the required supply of smartphones in a timely fashion. The report even claims that TSMC, which helps produce the iPhone, is sitting on a shipment of processors, worth US$ 1 billion, that don’t have memory chips.

Now, Apple is still confident that it can weather the launch. However, if the shortage persists, the iPhone 18 generation will likely sell out much more quickly than expected.

It’s an interesting time for Apple to experience such a shortage. It’s been heavily rumored that the company will launch its very first foldable phone next month, creating a new market for the brand. Apple definitely wants this attempt to succeed after the tepid response to its last new product, the Vision Pro.

News

These “smart” glasses just sold out in under a week

DuckDuckGo touts that these glasses have zero AI, zero cameras, and an infinite battery life.

Published

August 7, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Smart glasses are in a weird place right now. While a chunk of the population views them as cool and innovative, another significant chunk sees them as a privacy nightmare. If you’re in the latter group but want to see what life is like on the former, DuckDuckGo has a new product: a pair of anti-surveillance glasses with no camera or AI, otherwise known as just normal sunglasses.

If it’s not obvious, yes, it’s a troll product. DuckDuckGo is a search engine famously known for pushing privacy as a priority, opposing Google’s penchant for advertising and AI. Now, the search engine is taking on the smart glasses market.

Partnering with Knockaround, DuckDuckGo released the Paso Robles, a pair of sunglasses touted as having zero cameras, an always-offline mode, and a battery life of infinity.

It’s a statement piece. The rims have a logo mark, similar to the Meta’s glasses. The packaging also states that the glasses are “designed to block the sun, not send data to the cloud.”

Now, if you want a pair, they cost only US$ 35, as opposed to Meta’s US$ 299 price tag, but they are already sold out.

Which says quite a bit about today’s sentiment against AI and for privacy. Of course, to be fair, DuckDuckGo’s supply is certainly less than Meta’s stock for their smart glasses. It does, however, prove that the sentiment is there.

As of now, the world is slowly realizing that unimpeded smart glasses aren’t such a good idea, leading to people concerned about their privacy. In fact, some states have already started banning the technology in certain public spaces.