Tech News

TikTok's having a rough 2026. The app recently switched ownership from the Chinese-based ByteDance to the new "TikTok USDS Joint Venture," which, as the name implies, is a majority American-owned business entity. Any changing of the guard comes with the risk for disruptions and issues, but it seems TikTok's problems have gone beyond the usual rocky transition. First, the app itself went down, which the company attributed to a power outage at a data center. Then, users accused the platform of updating its terms of service with aggressive new tracking, blocking certain content types, and "shadowbanning" new posts from some users.

It's still not clear exactly what's going on here, but users aren't waiting around for more explanation. In fact, many have made up their minds already, and believe the app is actively suppressing content, neutering algorithms, and invading privacy in a way it didn't under ByteDance. While there are other, popular social media platforms to jump to, many apparently have flocked to a relatively new one: UpScrolled. As of this article, it's now the second most popular free app on the iOS App Store, reminding me of when X users ran to Bluesky.

UpScrolled, created by Issam Hijazi, is a social media platform that launched this past June. According to the company's "About" page, UpScrolled's mission is to allow all users to share their views without risk of bias, shadowbanning, or "unfair" algorithms. The company asserts it does not push agendas, and ensures that "every post has a fair chance to be seen." If you believe TikTok's algorithm is now biased against your views, I could see how that pitch sounds enticing.

The company says it only restricts content that violates their guidelines. That means illegal activities, hate speech, bullying and harassment, explicit nudity, unlicensed copyrighted content, or anything "intended to cause harm." UpScrolled will also never ban you without your knowledge. If the platform removes your videos or your account, it says it'll let you know why.

One big difference between UpScrolled and other social media platforms is its algorithm. The app splits feeds into two: There's the Following Feed, which lists posts entirely in chronological order. The first posts are the newest from your followers, and you scroll through previous posts. If you want to find new posts from accounts you don't follow, you can use the Discover Feed. But unlike TikTok or Instagram, the Discover Feed does not employ some aggressive, personalized algorithm. Instead, it's based on likes, comments, and reshares. Popular posts from across the platform are shared with you

What I especially appreciate is UpScrolled's approach to data collection, in that they largely don't do it. The company says it doesn't sell user data to third-parties for marketing, tracking, or for profit. The only times they'll hand over user data is when compelled by law. That's in sharp contrast to many social media platforms, which seem to collect as much of your data as possible.

I haven't spent much time with the app yet, though I did create an account this morning to see what the hullabaloo was all about. I don't recognize any of the users the app suggests I follow, which means I'll likely need to dig through the content types if I want to find accounts to start following.

The Discover Feed is a mix of content types, but is heavy with content surrounding the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In fact, many users are choosing the platform as a space for pro-Palestinian content, in response to allegations that mainstream social media apps censor these types of posts. That said, the app advertises a host of different content types to follow, including sports, news, games, film, music, tech, and travel.

As you might expect, some of the posts here are simply ripped from TikTok, which is a common practice I see on social media platforms that, well, aren't TikTok. Despite the current controversy, it's clear which platform still has the largest user share at this time, by a long shot.

But it's not all short-form videos. The app also includes plenty of posts of static images as well, which reminds me more of Instagram than TikTok. Still, it seems former TikTok users don't care that this isn't a one-to-one replica of the TikTok formula, and care more about sending a message to the app they once loved being addicted to.

I'm not sure my limited journey with UpScrolled this morning will keep me hooked, but it's an interesting take on a social media platform. We'll just need to see if the growth will continue, or if this is just a momentary blip before people return to TikTok.

Not to be outdone by Apple's "Lockdown Mode," Meta is rolling out new security features for WhatsApp designed to protect high-risk users—journalists, activists, and government officials, for example—from cyber attacks. Strict Account Settings is a "lockdown-style" mode that builds on the platform's existing end-to-end encryption, adding stronger privacy features and additional restrictions against unknown contacts.

For most WhatsApp users, this level of lockdown is overkill. However, people with access to sensitive data that is potentially valuable to threat actors actually have been targeted with spyware campaigns through messaging platforms like WhatsApp, so for users like that, it may be a lifesaver. (In the last year, WhatsApp has also patched multiple zero-day exploits that allowed spyware to proliferate.)

As noted, the new WhatsApp settings are similar to Apple's Lockdown Mode, an OS-level feature that blocks attachments, link previews, and communication from unknown contacts alongside some other settings changes. It also disables wired connections to external devices and a range of web features. Android's Advanced Protection offers similar functionality.

Strict Account Settings automatically enables existing privacy and security settings and adds a host of restrictions to users' communication and visibility on WhatsApp.

• Two-step verification and security notifications, which alert you if a contact's security code changes, are turned on.

• Link previews are disabled

• High volumes of messages from unknown accounts are blocked

• Only your contacts or those added to a pre-established list can see information about you, including your last seen and online, profile photo, about details, and links on your profile.

• Only known contacts or those on your pre-established list can add you to groups.

These controls can be enabled by going to Settings > Privacy > Advanced and toggling on Strict account settings. Settings must be changed on your primary device and cannot be updated on the web. Note that the feature will roll out gradually over the coming weeks, and may not be immediately available.

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Surround sound systems are not cheap, especially if you want to go for flagship options like Bose, Sonos, or JBL. However, one brand offers a complete surround sound system that is still on-par with the rest as far as quality, but offers a much better bang for your buck—that's Samsung's HW-Q990F/ZC, and right now it's 58% off on Woot for a new system. You can get it for $847.99 (originally $1,997.99), the lowest price I've seen it on sale.

The Q990F is a 2025 upgrade on the Q990D, which Samsung released in 2023. It's not much different except for a few tweaks that were the biggest cons on reviews. The Q990F added HDMI 2.1 with support for 4K at 120 Hz passthrough and VRR, which is ideal for serious gamers who want the lowest input lag possible. Samsung also added Wireless Dolby Atmos with compatible Samsung TVs, meaning you can have uncompressed Atmos audio without needing to hook up the HDMI cable to the eARC, sending it over wifi instead. The subwoofer was also improved with a tighter, more controlled sound. And of course, the overall tuning and audio technology are also better overall.

The Q990F comes with a soundbar, subwoofer, and two rear speakers, and it's honestly the best surround sound system at this price that you can get. As you can read in PCMag's "outstanding" review, the system is powerful, elegant, and has impressive surround-sound audio. There is also a useful companion app that brings all of the settings and any tweaks that you can think of needing right on your phone.

Moltbot (formerly known as Clawdbot) is the most viral AI product I've seen in a while. The personal AI assistant runs locally and connects via a chat app, like WhatsApp or iMessage. Once you give Moltbot access to your entire device, it can do things on that device for you. This the sort of thing that excites agentic AI pioneers, but worries privacy and security enthusiasts like myself.

And indeed, I have significant concerns about the risks installing Moltbot on your personal machine. Since agentic AI will autonomously perform tasks based on prompts, bad actors can take advantage of the situation by surreptitiously feeding those bots malicious prompts of their own. This is called prompt injection, and it can impact any type of agentic AI system, whether an AI browser, or an AI assistant like Moltbot.

But it's not just prompt injection that presents an issue for Moltbot users.

As spotted by The Hacker News, Moltbot already has its first malicious extension, dubbed "Clawdbot Agent - AI Coding Assistant" ("clawdbot.clawdbot-agent.") It seems to have been developed before the bot's name change. This extension is designed for Visual Studio Code, Microsoft's open source AI code editor. What's worse, it was hosted on Microsoft's official Extension Marketplace, which no doubt gave it legitimacy to Moltbot users looking for a Visual Studio Code extension.

The extension advertised itself as a free AI coding assistant. When you install it, it executes a series of commands that ends up running a remote desktop program (The Hacker News says it's "ConnectWise ScreenConnect") on your device. It then connects to a link that lets the bad actor gain remote access to your device. By just installing this extension, you essentially give the hacker the tools to take over your computer from wherever they are.

Luckily, Microsoft has already taken action. The extension is no longer available on the marketplace as of Tuesday. Moltbot has no official Visual Studio Code extension, so assume any you see are illegitimate at best, and malicious at worst. If you did install the extension, researchers have detailed instructions for removing the malware and blocingk any of its processes from running on your device. Of course, to first thing to do is uninstall the extension from Visual Studio Code immediately.

The Hacker News goes on to highlight findings from security researcher Jamieson O'Reilly, who discovered hundreds of unauthenticated Moltbot instances readily available on the internet. These instances reveal Moltbot users' configuration data, API keys, OAuth credentials, and even chat histories.

Bad actors could use these instances for prompt injection: They could pretend to be a Moltbot user, and issue their own prompts to that user's Moltbot AI assistant, or manipulate existing prompts and responses. They could also upload malicious "skills," or specific collections of context and knowledge, to MoltHub and use them to attack users and steal their data.

Speaking to The Hacker News, security researcher Benjamin Marr explains that the core issue is how Moltbot is designed for "ease of deployment" over a "secure-by-default" set up. You can poke around with Moltbot and install sensitive programs without the bot ever warning you about the security risks. There should be firewalls, credential validation, and sandboxing in the mix, and without those things, the user is at greater risk.

To combat against this, The Hacker News recommends that all Moltbot users running with the default security configurations take the following steps:

• remove any connected service integrations

• check exposed credentials

• set up network controls

• look for any signs of attack

Or, you could do what I'm doing, and avoid Moltbot altogether.

The Mac menu bar is a bit of a mess. Way too many applications want to put icons in the top-right corner of the screen, and most users only want to see a fraction of those. This is a particular problem on recent MacBooks, where the camera notch blacks out a chunk of space right in the middle of the menu bar. This is why applications for cleaning up the Mac menu bar are so popular—the clutter can feel overwhelming.

Here's the thing, though: You probably don't need to leave applications like that running constantly. You can hide icons in macOS' Settings, then use a free tool once to move all the icons closer together. Here's how.

Tahoe, also known as macOS 26, gave users a lot to talk about, which meant a few features were broadly overlooked. One of them: the ability to hide any menu bar icon, no third party software required. To use this feature open System Settings and head to the Menu Bar section. You will see the ability to toggle system icons, like Siri and Spotlight, on and off. Keep scrolling, though, and you'll find the ability to hide icons for any of your installed applications. Just toggle off any application you'd rather not see in the menu bar and it will disappear.

I've been using this to disable unwanted icons for months, and it's working well for me. Having said that, though, it isn't a perfect replacement. Applications like Bartender and Ice don't just hide icons—they give you access to a secondary tray where you can still occasionally access icons you hid. There's no quick way to do that using the macOS settings. Still: It's a free way to hide unwanted icons, and there's no need to keep third party software running.

If your menu bar still feels crowded, you can free up a bit more space by squeezing all of your icons together. A free application called Menu Bar Spacing lets you change the spacing in your menu bar. Just download the application, move the slider, and your icons will move closer together.

The great thing about Menu Bar Spacing, as an application, is that it doesn't need to run constantly. You can launch it once, make the changes you like, and then delete it—your setting will still apply. This is because the application changes a few hidden macOS settings. You can make the changes yourself using the Terminal if you prefer not to use an app, but I think the app makes things a little bit easier.

There's a bit of a caveat for macOS 26 users. Because of a bug, only Apple's own icons will move closer together at first. Your other applications will need to be restarted before they bunch closer together. That means you'll need to manually close and re-launch each application, or simply restart your Mac. It's annoying, but only relevant right after you change the settings. And you'll have a lot more space on your menu bar once you're done.

As scammers continue to find ways to impersonate known brands, users should remain wary of spam-like emails—even if they appear to come from a legitimate company address.

Ars Technica has identified a scheme that abuses a Microsoft subscription feature to send phishing emails from [email protected], a real address that the company advises users to add to their allow lists.

Users targeted with this scam have received emails from an address connected to Microsoft Power BI, a business analytics platform. The messages include (fake) billing receipts with large purchase amounts from services like PayPal, Norton LifeLock, and Microsoft 365 and a phone number to call to dispute the transaction.

Scammers on the other end of the line may try to convince you to install a remote access application that allows device takeover or will otherwise extract personal information. As with any phishing scam, engaging in any way—calling the number, responding to the email, or clicking links—could put your data and your device at risk.

The emails themselves are full of typos and grammar errors and urgent calls to action that are, in most cases, completely unrelated to Microsoft itself. Many users would spot these red flags and know to simply delete the message. However, threat actors capitalize on the trust users have in the brands they're exploiting along with scare tactics to trap some people in the scheme.

This is also far from the first phishing scheme of its kind: Threat actors have sent malicious emails from legitimate PayPal and Google addresses (to name just two) by exploiting similar loopholes. In the case of PayPal, fraudulent purchase notifications sent from service[at]paypal[dot]com abused the platform's subscription billing feature. With Google, scammers registered google.com subdomains via Google Sites and linked them with Google Accounts.

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The JBL Flip 7 is currently $84.95 at Woot, down from its usual $149.95. That undercuts the previous low of $99.95 and, according to price trackers, makes this the cheapest it has ever been. This deal runs for the next two days or until it's sold out, whichever comes first. Prime members get free standard shipping, while non-members pay $6.

The Flip line has always been about portable, durable speakers that are easy to toss in a bag and good enough for everyday listening, and the Flip 7 sticks to that formula. It doesn’t look all that different from its predecessor, with the same compact, water-bottle shape, but the build quality has been beefed up. You now get a tougher rubber bumper system that can survive a one-meter drop onto concrete, and the IP68 rating makes it completely dust-proof and safe to dunk in water. The old loop has also been replaced with a built-in carabiner, which feels like a small but meaningful fix if you’re outdoorsy. JBL’s added flexibility under the hood, too. You get Bluetooth 5.4, Auracast support, and USB-C audio input (if you don’t want to rely solely on Bluetooth) for high-res streaming. That said, there’s no microphone for calls and no auxiliary input, and Bluetooth is limited to the basic SBC codec. 

Sound-wise, the Flip 7 holds up well for a portable speaker this size, with a 25W woofer and 10W tweeter delivering surprisingly full audio. It won’t blow out a backyard party, and if you push the volume past 70%, it gets noticeably sharp, as highlighted by this PCMag review. You’ll want to stick to moderate volume or pair it with another speaker for a more balanced, less fatiguing listening experience. Battery life is rated at 14 hours, or up to 16 with Playtime Boost enabled (though you’ll lose some bass in exchange for the extra juice). For anyone after a rugged, great-sounding, truly portable speaker at a steep discount, this is a tough package to beat.

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A 77-inch OLED dipping below $1,500 doesn’t happen often. Seeing it at $1,419.99 is even rarer. That price beats the lowest tracked deal for the Samsung S85F and lands well under Amazon’s current $1,597.99 listing. This Woot deal is for a factory-reconditioned unit. In exchange, you get a 90-day Samsung warranty and free standard shipping if you’re a Prime member, while non-members pay an extra $6. The deal is live for two days or until stock runs out.

The Samsung S85F is positioned as the company’s entry-level OLED, replacing the 2024 S85D and sitting just below the S90F and S95F in the lineup. It skips the newer AI-powered processor used in pricier models (which mostly affects how aggressively it handles upscaling and HDR tone mapping), but you’re still getting Samsung’s 2025 Tizen OS with all the essentials—built-in voice assistant, casting support, and a responsive UI. As for connectivity, all four HDMI ports support 4K at 120Hz with Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), making this a legitimate option for PS5 and Xbox Series X users. It doesn’t support Dolby Vision HDR, as is typical of a Samsung TV, but it does handle HDR10+, which offers similar dynamic range improvements.

The WOLED panel plays to OLED’s strengths in darker rooms. Blacks look genuinely black, colors pop without looking artificial, and the viewing angle stays consistent even when you’re sitting off to the side. Reflection handling is solid, so overhead lights aren’t a dealbreaker, though black levels lift noticeably in brighter spaces. For mixed use, like movies at night, gaming sessions, and casual daytime watching, it performs well. If you’re comfortable with the reconditioned aspect and don’t need extreme brightness, this is a practical way to get a massive OLED without the usual price shock.

If you've been scrolling through your fitness algorithm lately, you might see content creators in their "soft cardio" era. This trend sounds a lot like last year's "cozy cardio," although the way I see it used is slightly different. Where "cozy" cardio is a little more about tricking yourself into working out by establishing a comfortable, maybe even luxurious ambience, "soft" cardio has a greater emphasis on the "low effort" of it all. Whatever the wording, this type of workout is simply the latest iteration of bigger trend toward low-effort cardio, promising all the benefits of exercise without the sweat, strain, or stress. But here's the thing: While soft cardio might be great for getting you off the couch, it's not quite delivering what traditional cardio does.

Let's be clear: I'm not here to bash soft cardio. Movement is movement, and anything that gets people more active is a win in my book. But if you're hoping to reap the cardiovascular benefits that come with actual cardio exercise, we need to have an honest conversation about what soft cardio can—and can't—do for your body.

Soft cardio is essentially low-intensity exercise performed at a relaxed, comfortable pace. Think leisurely walks, gentle dancing in your living room, slow cycling, or easy stretching routines. The emphasis is on making movement feel enjoyable and stress-free rather than challenging or demanding. Naturally, this should resonate with people who feel intimidated by traditional exercise, or who are recovering from injury, or who simply want to incorporate more gentle movement into their daily routines. These are all valid reasons to embrace this type of activity. Soft cardio designed to spare your body from repetitive impact and intense exertion, which sounds wonderful—and in many ways, it is.

“Cardio” may not have a precise definition, but just looking at the name, it's safe to say it usually refers to the realm of cardiovascular exercise. That means it's supposed to challenge your heart and lungs, elevating your heart rate to a level where your cardiovascular system actually has to work harder than usual. This is what creates the adaptations that improve your heart health, increase your endurance, and boost your overall fitness.

If your soft cardio session doesn't meaningfully elevate your heart rate—if you could easily hold a conversation throughout without any change in breathing at all—then your cardiovascular system isn't being challenged enough to create those training adaptations. You're moving, which is great, but you're not getting the cardiovascular conditioning that comes with true cardio exercise.

Here are some examples of soft, cozy, or low-impact cardio:

• A 30-minute stroll through the neighborhood at a comfortable pace

• Gentle yoga or stretching routines

• Slow dancing or swaying to music

• Easy cycling on flat terrain where you never feel breathless

• Light household chores done at a relaxed pace

All of these movements reduce sedentary time, are gentle on joints, have a low barrier to entry, are sustainable for many people, and would probably improve your mood. Soft cardio has it's place, but it's minimal cardiovascular conditioning, with limited calorie burn, and it won't significantly improve aerobic capacity.

Here are some examples of what it might look like to tip into actual cardio:

• Brisk walking where your breathing becomes noticeably heavier

• Jogging or running at any pace

• Swimming laps with sustained effort

• Cycling at a pace that makes conversation difficult

• Dance cardio classes with energetic movement

• Jump rope, rowing, or elliptical training

These examples could strengthen your cardiovascular system, improve aerobic capacity, increase calorie burn, reduce risk of heart disease, and overall enhance endurance. Of course, this comes with higher impact on joints, more effort and motivation, and can feel intimidating for beginners.

The good news is that you don't have to choose between soft cardio and real cardio—you can incorporate both into your routine based on your goals and current fitness level. If your primary goal is simply to move more and sit less, soft cardio is perfect. It's infinitely better than remaining sedentary, and for many people, it's a sustainable way to maintain an active lifestyle. The gentle nature of soft cardio also makes it ideal for active recovery days, when you want to move without taxing your body.

However, if you're looking to improve your cardiovascular fitness, increase your endurance, or achieve more significant health benefits, you'll need to include actual cardio workouts that challenge your heart and lungs. This doesn't mean every workout needs to be intense—even moderate-intensity cardio, where you can still talk but your breathing is elevated, provides substantial cardiovascular benefits.

Soft cardio has its place, and I genuinely appreciate that it's helping people embrace movement without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated. It's particularly valuable for keeping your heart slightly elevated without putting stress on your joints or muscles, which is especially important for those recovering from injury or managing chronic conditions. But let's call it what it is: light physical activity or gentle movement, not cardiovascular exercise in the traditional sense. If you want the cardiovascular adaptations that come with cardio—the improved heart health, increased lung capacity, and enhanced endurance—you need to include workouts that challenge your cardiovascular system.

For beginners, use soft cardio as a gateway to building more challenging workouts into your routine. Start with gentle movement to establish the habit of being active, then gradually increase the intensity as your fitness improves. You might begin with soft cardio walks and slowly pick up the pace over time, or add short intervals of brisker walking to your leisurely strolls.

The trend isn't bad. But understanding the difference between moving your body and training your cardiovascular system will help you set realistic expectations and design a fitness routine that actually meets your goals.

Big news for runners with an Apple Watch: You can now follow Strava routes directly from your wrist. Route navigation on Strava-compatible watches isn't exactly new technology—it's just been inexplicably absent from Apple's platform until now. In a Reddit post from Strava's product team, the news was welcomed by runners, cyclists, and hikers who've long wondered why their Apple Watch couldn't do what Garmin and Coros devices have offered for years.

The core update here is users can now view maps directly on their Apple Watch during activities, seeing both where they're headed and how to backtrack if they take a wrong turn. For subscribers, saved Routes work hands-free and function offline, eliminating the need to pull out your phone mid-run or mid-ride to check directions.

To access routes directly on your watch, press the Route icon while selecting the Sport Type that you’ll record.  Once you’ve selected the saved route you want to follow, the activity will start recording. 

To then access the map while in the middle of recording your activity, simply swipe up on your watch face. Once on the map screen, you will be able to follow your live location and, if added, your saved route. To zoom or pan the map, tap the watch face to unlock interactive mode. If you want to turn back to your Stat screen, tap the back icon or use the watch scroll button.

Alongside route navigation, Strava added two more training features:

• Custom Laps let you mark intervals with a single tap, useful for tempo runs, hill repeats, or comparing efforts against your previous performances.

• Live Segments provide real-time feedback when you hit a tracked segment. Subscribers can see whether they're ahead or behind their personal record as it happens, while all users get live progress updates.

As always, you can also turn to route suggestions that draw from Strava's massive activity database full of actual paths that real users have tested and preferred.

For Apple Watch users who've grown accustomed to working around Strava's limitations, this update rocks. Less phone checking means more attention on the road, trail, or effort itself.

Maybe it's taken longer than it should have, but Apple Watch users are finally caught up. Whether that's enough to satisfy those who've already migrated to other platforms remains to be seen, but for the loyal holdouts, it's about time.