#tech-news

Smart plugs are replacing smart appliances, and your decade-old washing machine just became future-proof

Smart plug (Zigbee) giá rẻ (~$15) thay thế smart appliance nhờ ưu điểm tiết kiệm chi phí, tránh lệ thuộc cloud, kéo dài tuổi thọ thiết bị và giảm rác thải điện tử. Chúng theo dõi dòng điện, kích hoạt tự động hóa (Home Assistant) như thông báo kết thúc chu trình, tính toán chi phí năng lượng hay ngắt an toàn mà không cần internet.

Lập trình viên nên đọc bài này để hiểu cách xây dựng hệ thống nhà thông minh tự động hóa hiệu quả bằng cách kết hợp các thiết bị cơ bản với các công cụ mở nguồn như Home Assistant, giảm chi phí và tránh phụ thuộc vào dịch vụ đám mây đắt tiền.

Microsoft significantly increases Xbox prices worldwide and withdraws 2TB model citing "components crisis"

Microsoft is raising Xbox console prices worldwide effective August 2, citing a components crisis driving up storage and memory costs by more than 2.5x. The Xbox Series S 512GB jumps from $399.99 to $499.99, the Series S 1TB from $449.99 to $599.99, the Series X Digital from $599.99 to $749.99, and the Series X from $649.99 to $799.99. The 2TB model is being discontinued. Microsoft notes consoles are sold below cost and points to buy-now-pay-later options and refurbished console programs to help with affordability. The announcement follows Valve's Steam Machine also launching at higher-than-expected prices due to similar hardware supply issues.

4 apps I always remove from every Samsung Galaxy phone

A Samsung Galaxy user shares four preinstalled apps they always remove: Samsung Browser (replaced by Chrome for cross-device consistency), Samsung Notes (replaced by Google Keep for web accessibility), Samsung TV Plus (unused ad-supported streaming service), and Samsung Global Goals (a charity app they prefer not to use). The author clarifies these aren't truly bloatware — they're decent apps — but cross-platform compatibility with iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Windows PC makes Samsung's ecosystem apps redundant for their workflow.

I used Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on long drives for a month and one is clearly better than the other

A month-long comparison of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay on extended road trips. CarPlay wins on design polish thanks to Apple's Liquid Glass aesthetic and third-party widget support. Android Auto wins on customization, notification control, and most decisively on voice assistant capability — Gemini handles complex multi-app commands far more naturally than Siri, making Android Auto the overall winner for practical long-drive use.

Louder ESP32 Mini board adds WiFi and Bluetooth to old speakers for SqueezeLite, Snapclient, or ESPHome support

Sonocotta's Louder ESP32 Mini is a compact open-source hardware board designed to retrofit old passive speakers with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. Built around the ESP32-S3 with 8MB PSRAM and a TAS5805M DAC/amplifier, it comes in two sizes (42×42mm and 52×52mm) and replaces the standard speaker terminal cup. It supports multiple firmware options including Squeezelite-ESP32 for Spotify Connect and AirPlay, Snapclient for multi-room audio, and ESPHome for Home Assistant integration. Priced at $15–$20, it's available on Lectronz and Tindie, with schematics and Gerber files published on GitHub.

Laser Scanning A Cave With Homebrew Gear

A maker built a custom 360-degree 3D scanning rig using an Ouster VLP-16 lidar sensor to map the interior of a cave. The sensor's native 40-degree field of view was extended to full 360-degree coverage by mounting it on a rotating shaft driven by a belt drive. The project highlights how homebrew solutions can rival expensive commercial scanners while offering hands-on learning about sensor mechanics and data processing.

Zoox redesigns its robotaxi interior ahead of commercial launch, with NHTSA approval still pending

Amazon's Zoox has unveiled interior and exterior upgrades to its steering-wheel-free robotaxi based on rider feedback, including ergonomic seat improvements, a lighter color palette, larger cupholders, and enhanced door communication systems. The redesign coincides with ramped-up production at its Hayward factory, now capable of building up to 100 vehicles per week. However, commercial launch depends entirely on a pending NHTSA exemption that would allow Zoox to operate up to 2,500 vehicles without traditional driver controls. The company currently offers free rides in four US cities and has partnered with Uber for Las Vegas integration. Zoox lags significantly behind Waymo, which already completes over 500,000 paid rides weekly across 10 cities.

Superhuman acquires AI detection startup GPTZero

Superhuman (the company formed after Grammarly acquired email client Superhuman and rebranded) has acquired GPTZero, the AI detection startup founded by Princeton grad Edward Tian. GPTZero had grown to 19 million registered users and $30 million ARR on just $13.5 million in total funding. Superhuman already had its own AI detection tool; it justifies the acquisition by arguing two detectors are better than one. Deal terms were not disclosed.

These Home Assistant Prime Day deals transformed my smart home, but one was the game-changer

A personal roundup of Prime Day smart home deals from a long-time Home Assistant user, covering five devices they actually use: the Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle (Zigbee coordinator), GoveeLife Tower Fan with Home Assistant integration, ESP32 development boards for DIY sensors, Sonoff SNZB-02P humidity/temperature sensor, and ThirdReality Zigbee smart plugs with energy monitoring. Each pick is framed around real-world use cases like reducing Wi-Fi congestion, humidity control in older homes, and power usage tracking via automations.

Why South Africans spend so little time on 5G

South African mobile users spent just 3.7% of their connected time on 5G in Q1 2026, compared to 34.6% in India. Despite 58% population coverage and 5G-capable devices being widely available, users with 5G handsets still spend 86.1% of their time on 4G. Opensignal's analysis attributes this to operators deploying 5G only on mid-band spectrum (3.5GHz), while low-band frequencies (700MHz and 800MHz) remain almost entirely on 4G. Low-band is critical for indoor coverage and cell-edge reach, but operators are reluctant to refarm it due to its role carrying existing LTE traffic. The result is a 5G capacity layer without the coverage layer needed to keep users connected, meaning 5G remains a brief passthrough rather than a sustained experience.