• 2026 Kia Sportage SX 2.0D AWD review

    December 30, 2025

    The fifth-generation Kia Sportage has been with us since 2021, and after its update in 2024 the dramatic new face of this top-selling Korean mid-size SUV has had some time to blend in on Australian roads. Last year’s update brought about some chopping and changing, with the range-opening manual variants axed, additional hybrid models added, interior tech overhauled, and prices bumped up. Kia has left most of that unchanged as the new year rolls around – those were only introduced five months ago, after all – except for prices. Some variants are now more expensive than they were before, including the 2026…

  • Meta buys startup known for its AI task automation agents

    December 30, 2025

    Meta has acquired an AI startup called Manus — known for its custom research and website-building agents — in a deal valued at more than $2 billion, according toThe Wall Street Journal. It’s reportedly one of the largest acquisitions yet involving a startup nurtured in China’s AI ecosystem. Manus arrived in March 2025, shortly after another Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek appeared on the scene. The company (called Butterfly Effect at the time) originally described it as “the first general AI agent” to perform complex tasks autonomously, rather than just generating ideas. It draws from several third-party models, particularly Anthropic’s Claude…

  • Here’s what you should know about the US TikTok deal

    December 30, 2025

    TikTok, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been at the center of controversy in the U.S. for four years now due to concerns about user data potentially being accessed by the Chinese government. As a result, U.S. users have often found themselves caught in the middle of this tension. Earlier this year, the app experienced a temporary outage in the U.S. that left millions of users in suspense before it was quickly restored. TikTok returned to the App Store and Google Play Store in February.  A number of investors competed to purchase the app, and after Trump extended the…

  • How to set a sleep timer in iOS for Netflix, Hulu or any streaming app

    December 30, 2025

    There’s some buzz right now about Netflix testing out a sleep timer. It’s a great idea for the app, which is no doubt up and running on many bedside stands around the world as subscribers settle in for a night’s rest. But it’s just a test for now, and one that’s only for Android versions of the app. That doesn’t mean iOS users are out of luck, though. While having sleep timers bundled as in-app features has been great for other apps (I use the Pocket Casts one frequently), iOS users already have access to a simple-yet-powerful sleep timer that…

  • What to expect at CES 2026

    December 30, 2025

    CES 2026 is right around the corner, and the pre-show hype cycle/ early reveals suggest, yes, there’s going to be an awful lot of AI-powered insert-product-category-here alongside, thankfully, some major announcements from the likes of Intel, Sony and NVIDIA. Intel is finally unveiling its Panther Lake (Core Ultra Series 3) chips. The first chips built on Intel’s 2nm process could offer a 50 percent performance boost, which is sorely needed amid intense competition. NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang is taking the stage for a keynote expected to feature a lot of AI hype, while AMD’s Lisa Su will likely counter with new…

  • Going To Sleep At 10 PM Every Night Can Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease

    December 30, 2025

    The circadian rhythm, also known as the biological clock, plays a crucial role in our body’s functioning. When people don’t get regular sleep or have erratic sleeping patterns, it can disrupt the body’s rhythm. This can lead to people feeling tired and not being able to perform optimally. Over the years, various studies have tried to understand the circadian rhythm’s role on our health, and the latest one from the University of Exeter, United Kingdom has some interesting findings. In a paper published in the European Heart Journal, researchers have revealed that getting regular sleep between 10 pm and 11…

  • The best iPad cases for 2026

    December 30, 2025

    Features: Keyboard, backlit keys, trackpad, pass-through charging | Form: Hard shell | Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB-C, Smart Connector It’s hard to get much better than Apple’s own Magic Keyboard if you want a case that will turn your tablet into an acceptable laptop replacement. iPads magnetically attach to it, hovering above the keys and trackpad, while allowing you to angle it from 90 to 130 degrees to get the right viewing position. It feels surprisingly sturdy, and the keyboard itself is great to use for long periods of time. It doesn’t have the same stability a standard laptop would if you’re…

  • Inadequate Sleep Hinders Key Brain Functions In Pre-Teens

    December 30, 2025

    Adequate sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, especially in children. Several studies in the past have highlighted the important role of sleep plays in children’s development. However, inadequate sleep can also hinder brain functioning in children, particularly pre-teens, according to researchers at the Children’s Hospital in Boston, United States. In a paper published in the journal Cerebral Cortex Communications, the researchers have revealed that inadequate sleep can hinder brain organization in early adolescents. “Preteens’ brain circuits are rapidly maturing, particularly those supporting higher-level thought processes like decision-making, problem-solving, and the ability to process and integrate information from…

  • OpenAI is hiring a new Head of Preparedness to try to predict and mitigate AI’s harms

    December 30, 2025

    OpenAI is looking for a new Head of Preparedness who can help it anticipate the potential harms of its models and how they can be abused, in order to guide the company’s safety strategy. It comes at the end of a year that’s seen OpenAI hit with numerous accusations about ChatGPT’s impacts on users’ mental health, including a few wrongful death lawsuits. In a post on X about the position, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that the “potential impact of models on mental health was something we saw a preview of in 2025,” along with other “real challenges” that have…

  • ‘Bridgerton’ star Jonathan Bailey has voiced a dreamy bedtime story for Calm

    December 30, 2025

    Jonathan Bailey — or, as the world has come to know him, Lord Anthony Bridgerton — has launched a dreamy sleep story on meditation app Calm. Titled Love Letter From An Englishman, the bedtime audio story is narrated by Bailey and takes listeners into tropical waters on the H.M.S Dreamscape, where a sea captain has set sail “all in search of a rare and beautiful flower for his beloved”. Behold. Credit: Calm This is the second leading Bridgerton man to voice a Calm sleep story. The Duke of Hastings, AKA Regé-Jean Page, starred in his own last year, following the…