Technology

The price of a new car in the United States has climbed so high that even households earning six figures can struggle to afford one without stretching their budget. With the average new vehicle sticker price hovering around the $50,000 mark, and many popular SUVs, electrified models, and luxury-trim variants pushing past $55,000 or more, what used to feel like a comfortable middle-class purchase now often feels out of reach for many buyers.

Google just released the first public beta for Android 17, and you can install it now if you have a compatible Pixel device.

Those who consider themselves brave enough to test the waters of an upcoming OS release can now download Android 17's initial beta. The simplest way to do so is via Google's Beta Program. Just go to the Beta Program website, hit the "Opt In" button with a Google account that's tied to a compatible Pixel phone, and you should be good to go. Once that's done, go to the Pixel phone itself and check for software updates in the settings menu. It may not happen instantly, but after a short period of time, the Android 17 beta should appear for you.

SEE ALSO: Apple releases iOS 26.3: New wallpapers, Transfer to Android

Oh, and as for which Pixel phones can download this beta, the easiest way to think of it is that everything from the Pixel 6 forward can do it. This includes Pixel A-series phones and even the Pixel Tablet, which I had forgotten about until right now. If you have any of those devices, you should be all set.

As for what to expect from the beta, don't anticipate any huge changes right now. Per Android Central, the update is mostly focused on small UI changes. For instance, the home screen search bar has been slimmed down, and users can now get rid of the "At a Glance" widget on the home screen. Google will almost certainly expand on what's available in the beta over time, which is why it's a good idea to get in now, if you so desire.

As always, just go in understanding that this is unfinished software and you might run into trouble. Make a pre-beta backup of your Pixel device before diving in, and good luck.

Hollywood loves a good Stephen King book. There have been over 90 feature-length movies based on King's works, with several of his books getting multiple adaptations, including The Running Man. Written under King's pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Running Man is a dystopian adventure where one man enters a deadly game show to win money. There have been two movie adaptations of The Running Man: the 1987 film with Arnold Schwarzenegger and the 2025 version with Glen Powell, with the latter climbing the streaming charts.

Google I/O is one of Google’s major annual events, with announcements for Android, Google services, Chromebooks, smart home devices, and (occasionally) Pixel hardware. Now, we have a date for the 2026 event.

Meta has patented a hypothetical LLM that would continue posting for (and as) you, long after you're dead.

Granted in late December, the patent outlines an AI that would "simulate" a person's social media activity when they've been away from the platform for an extended period of time, including after they've died, according to an exclusive from Business Insider. It was first filed in 2023 by Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth.

A Meta spokesperson told the publication that they no longer have plans to move forward with the LLM concept.

SEE ALSO: Economic strike effort: Quit these tech services

Still, the patent for this type of AI-trained digital clone is now Meta's. In the original filing, the tech giant said it was designed to assist people who have strong social media presences, such as influencers who want to take a break from posting. Such a clone could comment, like, and even simulate video or audio calls with your followers on Meta accounts, in theory. "The impact on the users is much more severe and permanent if that user is deceased and can never return to the social networking platform," the filing reads.

Microsoft patented a similar chatbot model in 2021. The company later scrapped the idea, with leadership saying it was "disturbing." Instead, startups have proliferated in the new AI-powered afterlife industry, including deadbot generators like Replika AI and 2wai.

AI "deadbots," or LLM-powered chatbots that mimic deceased people, have been scrutinized by legal professionals, creatives, and grief experts alike, who question the ethical and social ramifications of popularizing digital versions of deceased individuals.

Celebrities, like Matthew McConaughey, have taken steps to protect their digital likenesses after they die, including trademarking their appearances and voices. And it's not just celebs at risk of AI's misuse, with experts in estate and end-of-life planning urging the general public to set clear parameters for AI in the event of their death, too.

If you're regular about your file backups, you're already miles ahead of most of my friends and relatives, so well done. But are you sure you're not trusting those backups a little too much?

Three years after Christopher Nolan's epic movie first opened in theaters, Oppenheimer is returning to cinemas next month for a special rerelease.

Apple’s cryptic March 4 "special experience" event may not be so mysterious after all.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is gearing up for a busy early-2026 hardware cycle, with a product launch potentially slated for the week of March 2. As Mashable reported, invites have gone out for in-person events in New York, London, and Shanghai, scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on March 4.

Here are the five products that seem most likely take the stage.

iPhone 17e

Gurman reports that Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 17e, which would replace last year’s 16e and keep its $599 price point while adding the A19 chip and MagSafe.

Macworld, however, suggests the A19 inside may be a "binned" version — meaning slightly fewer GPU cores than the flagship iPhone 17 — alongside 8GB of RAM and potentially upgraded storage.

Bottom line: Expect an iteration, not a revolution.

Entry-level iPad (12th gen)

The base iPad is reportedly moving to the A18 chip, enabling Apple Intelligence features on Apple’s cheapest tablet. Design changes appear unlikely.

iPad Air (8th gen)

Gurman says the iPad Air will get the M4 chip, narrowing the performance gap between Air and Pro and continuing Apple’s push to standardize its silicon lineup.

MacBook Pro (M5)

Updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M5-class chips are also imminent. Gurman notes the supply of current models has tightened — often a signal that refreshes are near.

Low-cost Macbook

The most intriguing potential launch? A new sub-$1,000 MacBook powered by an iPhone-class chip instead of an M-series processor. Gurman reports it will feature an aluminum chassis — not plastic — thanks to a new manufacturing process that lowers production costs.

The display will be slightly under 13 inches, and Apple is said to be testing color options aimed at students and enterprise buyers.

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Even if a couple of these products don't arrive, March 4 could still be Apple’s most hardware-heavy early-year event in recent years.

Snapchat is introducing a new way for creators to earn revenue directly from their audiences.

Beginning Feb. 23, Snap will launch creator subscriptions in alpha testing with select U.S.-based creators, including Jeremiah Brown, Harry Jowsey, and Skai Jackson. The feature allows fans to pay a monthly fee for exclusive access to content and perks within the app.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators shaping the internet in 2025

Creators can set their own subscription prices, with Snap suggesting tier options. Subscribers will unlock exclusive posts, receive priority replies to public Stories, and get ad-free viewing of that creator's Stories — adding both monetization and deeper fan engagement opportunities for creators.

A preview of the new Snap Creator Subscriptions feature coming Feb. 23 to select creators. Credit: Snap

Snap positioned the feature as an expansion of its existing creator revenue tools, including the Unified Monetization Program and Snap Star Collab Studio. Unlike revenue-sharing programs tied to ads, subscriptions give creators more predictable, recurring income and greater ownership over their audience relationships.

The rollout comes as Snap continues to highlight creator growth. The company reported 474 million daily active users and 946 million global monthly active users in Q4 2025, and said the number of U.S. users posting to Spotlight rose 47 percent year over year, signaling increased creator activity on the platform. Even King Kylie herself (aka Kylie Jenner) made a splash by returning to the platform late last year.

The subscription program will expand to Snap Stars in Canada, the UK, and France in the coming weeks.

The move puts Snapchat in more direct competition with Meta's subscription offerings across Instagram and Facebook, as platforms increasingly compete to attract and retain top creators with diversified monetization tools.

Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot, has been under investigation in France, California, the UK, India, and Brazil for allegedly creating non-consensual intimate images, including images that depict minors. Now, it's facing yet another investigation, this time in Ireland.

On Tuesday, Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced that it had opened an investigation into Musk's X, which hosts Grok, over "potentially harmful, non-consensual intimate and/or sexualised images, containing or otherwise involving the processing of personal data of EU/EEA data subjects, including children, using generative artificial intelligence functionality associated with the Grok large language model within the X platform."

X is already the subject of an EU investigation from French authorities over the actions of Grok during a nearly two-week period that began late last year and went into 2026. Ofcom, the UK's communications regulator, announced its own investigation into Grok last month, with potential fines of up to 10 percent of X's revenue. 

In the midst of these investigations, Grok is also facing potential bans in Malaysia and Indonesia.

When xAI launched Grok Imagine, a new AI image and video generation tool, last August, Mashable's reporting revealed that it lacked basic safety guardrails to prevent sexual deepfakes and non-consensual intimate imagery.

In late December, a harsh spotlight was put on Grok when a critical mass of X users noticed that the chatbot was generating sexualized images of individuals based on requests from other X users. While these nonconsensual images often depicted celebrities or private adults, some users reported finding AI-generated images that depicted minors as well.

A study from the nonprofit watch group Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that over an 11-day period, Grok had generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images, including 23,000 images of children.

Musk originally defended Grok and claimed governments like the UK were just seeking to censor free speech. Eventually, X paywalled some of Grok's image-generating capabilities behind its X Premium subscription. Shortly after, X changed its policies and outright banned the generation of sexualized imagery featuring real-life individuals.

While it does appear that X has now resolved this specific issue involving Grok, the length of time it took for Musk's company to take action, and the sheer number of images that the chatbot created, will likely be at the forefront of the ongoing investigations.

“The DPC has been engaging with XIUC [X Internet Unlimited Company] since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children," said DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle in a statement. "As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine XIUC’s compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand.”

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844-878-2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information as well as a list of international resources.

TL;DR: Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta in the Champions League for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League knockout rounds are finally here. Well, we've got the playoffs first and foremost. This two-legged stage is the knockout round before the knockout rounds for real, and it showcases some really interesting matchups.

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta is one of the most difficult contests to predict. These sides were only separated by two points in the group stage, so there isn't much between them. Dortmund are riding high in the Bundesliga right now, recently beating Mainz 4-0. Atalanta aren't experiencing quite the same level of success this season, but they're still in sixth spot in Serie A. That's not bad at all, and they'll go into this clash believing that they can secure a victory away from home.

If you want to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta?

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Feb. 17. This fixture takes place at the Signal Iduna Park.

How to watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta for free

Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta in the Champions League is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to Germany, but anyone can gain access with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Germany, meaning you can live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in Germany

5. Live stream Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta for free on Prime Video

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta on Prime Video without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Prime Video?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Germany

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Borussia Dortmund vs. Atalanta in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League group stage concluded with some fascinating matchups, but nothing compared to Benfica vs. Real Madrid.

José Mourinho's side secured a spot in the playoff round thanks to a last-minute goal from goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, and now these teams face each other again in a two-legged contest. Can Benfica shock the footballing world and knock out Real Madrid? Los Blancos have looked vulnerable this season. José Mourinho will see an opportunity to progress, but his team will need to be at their best to get anything from this game. They'll need to likes of Vangelis Pavlidis and Sidny Lopes Cabral to deliver big performances in this vital clash.

If you want to watch Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Benfica vs. Real Madrid?

Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Feb. 17. This fixture takes place at the Estádio da Luz.

How to watch Benfica vs. Real Madrid for free

Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League is available to live stream on Prime Video in the UK, but you don't need to be subscribed to Amazon Prime to watch this fixture. Instead, you can watch Benfica vs. Real Madrid for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to watch the Champions League for free on Prime Video. This process is straightforward:

1. Sign up for a 30-day Amazon Prime trial (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

5. Live stream Benfica vs. Real Madrid for free on Prime Video

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Benfica vs. Real Madrid on Prime Video without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Prime Video?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Benfica vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Monaco vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

All the Champions League playoff matchups are interesting, but Monaco vs. PSG might be the best of the bunch. PSG will be expected to overcome their domestic rivals and continue their title defence, but anything can happen at this stage. Monaco have struggled in Ligue 1 this season, so they'll be desperate to give their fans a good display in this first leg.

It's not like Monaco don't have the talent to trouble PSG. Expect the likes of Vanderson, Krepin Diatta, Mamadou Coulibaly to deliver big performances in this all-important clash.

If you want to watch Monaco vs. PSG in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Monaco vs. PSG?

Monaco vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 17. This fixture takes place at the Stade Louis II.

How to watch Monaco vs. PSG for free

Monaco vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Monaco vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Monaco vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Monaco vs. PSG (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Monaco vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Could you learn all that you need to know about reading, science, and math in just two hours? Two hours spent staring at a screen, with the help of an AI teacher, that is? 

A small group of students across the country are testing it out. They're the next generation of learners molded and shaped by the tech teaching of Alpha School, the "AI-powered private school" touted by the federal government as a possible future for education. 

SEE ALSO: How Minneapolis used tech to make ICE retreat

In a September visit to an Alpha School campus in Austin, Texas, Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon said that the school was full of potential, an "exemplary" case of what tech can do for American education. The school's co-founders claim there is strong interest in their learning system, which has gained favor among advocates of expanded school choice and alternative learning. 

But what exactly is Alpha School selling — and should we take its model seriously?

What is Alpha School?

Alpha School was founded in 2014 by educational podcaster and 2 Hour Learning founder MacKenzie Price and software and private equity billionaire Joe Liemandt. It's not new to the scene, and it exists within a plethora of tech-focused alternative school programs sold to families discouraged by public school curriculum. 

AI developers, including OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, have pushed their way into academia, releasing products designed for classroom instruction, educator support, and general student learning. Meanwhile, educational companies have designed their own products to build on their standard course materials, like specialized chatbots for specific math courses or leveled reading skills.

Alpha School suggests something more extreme. Instead of a helpful supplement to human learning, AI is the students' sole instructor, grader, and academic administrator.  

The K-12 curriculum was designed with assistance from "world-renowned learning scientists, advanced degreed academic experts and researchers," Alpha School says. 

Like other alternative schools, students divide their time between a practical and academic curriculum: Students spend just two hours each day on core subjects, reading and math, "using A.I.-driven software," the New York Times reports. AI-supported practical skill-building — like entrepreneurship, public speaking, and financial literacy — takes up the rest. All of it is tracked on an AI platform that creates highly individualized lesson plans for each student, rather than classes as a whole. Schools do not employ teachers, but rather human "guides" who do not manage grades or curriculum but can offer specialized teaching, like handwriting. Guides don't need postgraduate or educational degrees to work for Alpha. 

"What if your child could crush academics in just 2 hours and spend the rest of their day unlocking limitless potential?" the private school writes on its website. "Your kids can accomplish twice as much if they’re not sitting in a one-size-fits-all classroom for 6 hours."

In a New York Times article from last year, the school reported serving 200 K-8th-grade students and another 50 high school-level students, it expected to expand to dozens of locations by the end of 2025. Tuition ranges from $10,000 to $75,000 a year, reported CNN. 

Is there an Alpha School near me?

Alpha School operates in-person classes – some of which are conducted in leased spaces at existing private schools — in several states around the country, including Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Brownsville, Texas, the SpaceX company town tied to CEO Elon Musk. Many of these locations overlap with major tech hubs, like campuses in Palo Alto and San Francisco. 

Alpha also offers an at-home learning program, Alpha Anywhere, that provides personalized courses, academic support, and professional coaching. 

Does AI-based learning actually work?

Parents who placed their kids in Alpha School years ago say their children had mixed experiences. Many eventually pulled their children from the program, reported CNN in a recent Alpha School investigation. Parents told the publication that they had reservations about relying on apps for learning, with little to no human intervention. They found that the AI instructors had set hard-to-meet goals, forcing students to overwork themselves without the support and flexibility of a human instructor. 

Alpha School's lack of human involvement is particularly worrisome, according to some learning experts.  

"While I do think personalized AI tutors can work well if designed in a way that supports productive struggle, decoupling the human connection from instruction entirely seems very concerning. How can humans play the role of ‘motivators’ if they are not even involved in instruction?" said Hamsa Bastani, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and AI researcher. 

"When you have a school that is strictly A.I., it is violating that core precept of the human endeavor and of education," Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, told the Times last year. 

Bastani and her colleagues are open to AI's learning potential, but the science hasn't quite gotten there yet. Bastani was co-author of a 2024 study that found that highly motivated students could benefit from AI-assisted studying — but the tech had little effect on actual test scores. Additional research has shown that AI can have modest positive gains for student learning, in specific scenarios, while other studies have found AI chatbots to hinder learning perception and impede types of thinking. To summarize: There is no scientific consensus on the impact of universally designed chatbots, such as ChatGPT, on learning. 

Just as alarming, experts say, is Alpha School's lack of open evaluation, which, Bastani explains, is necessary to iterate and improve AI systems. A lack of internal or independent human evaluation "sets the stage for bad AI design broadly," Bastani says. 

Still, the desire for new modes of learning, amid an overburdened and underfunded education system, is strong. The U.S. government and its Big Tech allies, both with their own AI agendas, see the new tech as a solution. But we are still reckoning with the effect of screen time and a new wave of Generative AI tools on young learners. And, as experts say, the science just isn't there yet. 

Fire TV devices are finally getting an overhauled home screen, with easier navigation and faster performance. The update was announced back in January, and it’s now rolling out to TVs.

Google Home smart speakers used to be the clear-cut winners in the virtual assistant device category. However, if you’ve been using Nest smart home devices recently, you’ve probably noticed a significant drop in quality. This has been happening to a lot of people for a long time, and the company knows it.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who seems to have a direct line into goings on at Apple HQ, reported today that Apple is working on a trio of new AI wearables — smart glasses, a pendant-style AI device, and AI-powered AirPods.

Gurman reports that all three products would be "linked to Apple's iPhone," be built around Siri, and utilize a "camera system." Other companies have released smart glasses and AI pendants with onboard cameras, but wireless earbuds featuring cameras would be highly unusual. According to Gurman's reporting, the AI pendant and AirPods wouldn't use cameras for photography purposes, but only to power AI features.

In addition, Gurman reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook told employees that Apple will be focusing heavily on AI devices. Of course, there's no guarantee the new AI devices will eventually land on store shelves, though Gurman's Apple reporting is usually rock solid.

Smart glasses come in a variety of form factors, but Apple is rumored to be working on a pair of high-end glasses with a built-in display and camera system. Gurman says the glasses are called N50 internally at Apple, shedding new light on a product that's been rumored since early last year.

SEE ALSO: The best smart glasses we saw at CES 2026

Even though early AI wearables have largely failed to launch, big tech companies like Apple, OpenAI, Meta, Google, and Samsung are all racing to produce new AI wearables and/or smart glasses. Sales of Meta smart glasses reportedly tripled in 2025, and Google is expected to release its Android XR smart glasses by the end of the year. Recent advances in generative AI have made these types of devices more capable, such as by giving users the ability to translate foreign languages in real-time, for example.

However, Apple fans may have to wait longer for AI glasses. As Mashable reported earlier today, market research company Omdi predicts that Apple smart glasses won't arrive until 2028. However, Gurman's report contradicts that forecast, with Bloomberg reporting that Apple AI glasses could go into production this year, ahead of a 2027 release.

Apple has been playing catch-up in the artificial intelligence arms race, and the company recently tapped Google Gemini to power a long-awaited AI revamp of Siri. Even though Apple has fallen behind in developing AI technology, the company is still reporting record sales. On top of that, as competitors ramp up their capital expenditures to never-before-seen levels to build new AI infrastructure, Apple is keeping its new spending flat, putting it in an enviable position in 2026.

Or, as the Motley Fool put it, Apple may be winning the AI race by staying out of it.

Getting older can sometimes limit our ability to do basic tasks like turning on a lamp behind the couch or going down a flight of stairs to lock the door. Smart devices can make those tasks more accessible even to older adults with new limitations, so I put them to good use to help my parents.

Did you buy a new iPad and wonder what to do with your old Android tablet? Or are you finding that your new iPad isn’t a solid replacement for it? I’ve been there—and here’s how I use both my old Android tablet and my new iPad Air M2 side by side.

Smart homes let you control your devices remotely, but the true power comes from automation. Having your lights turn on when you walk into a room beats having to pull out your phone or tap a button on a dashboard. It's easy to fall into the trap of creating automations with the wrong focus, however.