The Hunt – Apple TV’s new French-language drama that was previously put on indefinite hold following concerns about plagiarism – has been given a solid release date. Today, Apple announced that The Hunt, which was produced by French studio Gaumont and directed by Cédric Anger, is set to premiere on March 4th. The news comes […]
Texas Sues TP-Link Over Chinese Connections
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing TP-Link over claims that the router-maker is misleading customers about its ties to China. In a lawsuit filed this week, Paxton claims TP-Link is “masking its Chinese connections,” while serving as “an open window for Chinese-sponsored threat actors and Chinese intelligence agencies.” TP-Link was founded in China, but […]
The Results of the CATE App After Shark Tank: Progressions After Season 4
A contentious product debuted in Season 4 of Shark Tank, which was broadcast in 2012. The product was known as the CATE App, which stands for “Call and Text Eraser.” The entrepreneur presenting the product was Neal Desai. This app was intended to conceal texts and phone calls on a smartphone from others. The controversy arose as Desai was at ease with the app being promoted as a tool for individuals to deceive their partners. Although the panel of potential investors on the show, the sharks, showed tentative interest and made an offer, the deal was never executed post-show. Currently, the CATE App is out of business.
While agreements are occasionally reached during a Shark Tank episode, nothing is finalized until the due diligence phase after the broadcast. In the case of the Hopscotch app from Season 12, a proposal was made but never completed. Nevertheless, the Hopscotch app continued to prosper afterward.
The CATE App wasn’t initially Desai’s own concept, even though he sought to turn it into a business. It was created by police officer Phil Immler to minimize domestic conflicts. His design stemmed from his experience witnessing incidents unfold after partners were displeased with what they discovered on their significant other’s phone. Desai, however, had a different vision for the app.
Details of the Shark Tank agreement
Neal Desai entered Shark Tank with some traction already behind the CATE App. It had more than 5,000 subscribers, with a charge of $4.99 per app download. Opting for a pay-per-download model is intriguing, as those attempting to conceal infidelity or actions from abusive partners might also need to account for a bank charge. Desai requested a $50,000 investment for a 5% equity stake in the venture.
Sharks Robert Herjavec and Mark Cuban disapproved of the ethical implications of the app and its marketing as a tool for cheaters. They were quickly disinterested in investing. However, the other sharks expressed greater interest if Desai agreed to rebrand the product as a privacy app instead. After some negotiation, a deal was eventually solidified by Kevin O’Leary and Daymond John.
Yet, akin to the ReThink anti-bullying app from Season 8, this deal was never finalized following the show. Despite this, the app garnered attention during the episode. Following the broadcast, there were 10,000 downloads, predominantly by women. However, after that initial spike, the app seemingly failed to develop as Desai intended, leading to its unavailability for download.
The CATE App post-show
After Shark Tank, Desai attempted to promote the CATE App to federal agencies as a confidentiality tool for sensitive information, potentially following the sharks’ advice on how it should be reconfigured and redirected. However, it seems that nothing materialized, as the app is no longer operational.
The only trace of the CATE App on social media is a YouTube channel for the product, although the most recent video was uploaded 14 years ago at the time of this writing. It does direct to a website that appears to have gone offline. One of the videos is titled “Cheaters App for Android! #1 Selling 5-Star CATE”. Perhaps Desai’s struggle to detach the app from its cheating implications contributed to its failure. Even though the episode aired in 2012, people still recall the app and discuss it in online forums.
Had Desai been able to adhere to the app’s original intent and successfully rebranded with the support of Shark Tank, the app might have emerged as one of the essential applications for victims of domestic violence, akin to Aspire, eBodyGuard, or Looped Fusion Portal. Therefore, while the CATE App gained interest on Shark Tank, it ultimately secured no deal and did not endure long after the episode.
Motives to Buy the iPhone 17 in 2026
The iPhone 17 might not boast a striking design like the Pro variant, but it offers enhancements you’ll genuinely find beneficial.
I’ve had a great experience with the iPhone 17 Pro in the past six months; its fresh design, the new orange color option, and internal enhancements make it stand out. While the iPhone Air is quite fascinating in its own way, after extensively using these models, I believe the iPhone 17 could be the most significant upgrade for those in the market for a new phone this year.
Though it may not be as eye-catching as the iPhone 17 Pro or as sleek as the Air, the iPhone 17 provides upgrades that you will practically utilize, with Apple finally introducing features that have been absent in earlier models. Even if its appearance isn’t drastically different, I assure you that you’ll experience an immediate improvement when transitioning to the iPhone 17, especially if you’re upgrading from an iPhone 13 or earlier version.
The 120Hz ProMotion display is delightful to use
The standout feature of the iPhone 17 is its display — the device now incorporates ProMotion technology, aligning it with the iPhone 17 Pro. This means the phone’s panel now supports 120Hz, resulting in a perceptible enhancement. You’ll notice the smoothness immediately upon using the iPhone 17, and it’s fantastic that the base model also features 120Hz.
The best part is that you receive the identical panel as the iPhone 17 Pro, with comparable brightness and color accuracy. Additionally, it includes LTPO technology, allowing the display to drop to 1Hz when showing static content and rise to 120Hz while navigating the interface, scrolling through social media, or gaming. This dynamic switching positively impacts battery performance, and the iPhone 17 remarkably maintains its endurance.
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YouTube Addresses Major Outage That Interrupted Service for Multiple Hours
YouTube is completely operational again following a significant outage that left hundreds of thousands facing blank homepages and error messages. The issue stemmed from YouTube’s recommendations system — the mechanism that drives your homepage, suggested videos, and discovery feed. Downdetector recorded between 300,000 and 350,000 reports in the U.S. alone, with more complaints coming from other areas.
YouTube is now functioning again after a widespread disruption that resulted in hundreds of thousands of users encountering blank homepages and error notifications. The company has resolved the issue, restoring access throughout its primary app and associated services following one of its biggest outages in recent months.
The primary concern was related to YouTube’s recommendations system, which curates your homepage feed, suggested videos, and discovery options. Videos, channels, and content were not visible, even though the actual video files remained intact.
The outage impacted more than just the official website. It disrupted YouTube.com, the mobile application, YouTube Music, YouTube Kids, and even YouTube TV logins, resulting in issues throughout the entire service. Downdetector noted over 300,000 to 350,000 outage reports in the U.S., along with numerous submissions from other areas.
For users, this incident was not merely a random connection or server issue. The recommendations system is a crucial component of YouTube’s functionality, so when it malfunctions, it influences your homepage, suggested lists, and discovery resources.
The algorithm was responsible
YouTube’s team promptly recognized the issue on social media, informing users that they were aware of the access difficulties and would supply updates. As the outage persisted, the company confirmed that the root cause was the recommendations system and assured a fix was underway.
By late evening in the U.S., YouTube announced that the homepage was operational once more and later verified that full service was restored on YouTube.com, mobile apps, and other related services.
This disruption did not result in the deletion of any videos or accounts; it merely prevented YouTube from displaying them for a brief period. Now that service has resumed, engineers will likely look into what led to the recommendations system’s failure to help avoid future occurrences.
How the Google Pixel 9a’s Functionality Eases Photo Composition
Auto Frame is a useful feature exclusive to Pixel that alleviates the hassle of centering photos.
Google Unveils Pixel 10a Featuring Minimal Enhancements
Google has clearly opted for caution with the Pixel 10a.
Google has unveiled the Pixel 10a with a design that feels familiar and only slight hardware variations from the Pixel 9a. The device features the same display and camera setup but incorporates Gorilla Glass 7i and a subtly enhanced build. It operates on Tensor G4 rather than Tensor G5 but still offers some Pixel 10 AI functionalities and seven years of updates. The starting price for the Pixel 10a is $499, with pre-orders available now, and sales commencing on March 5, 2026.
Google has officially revealed the Pixel 10a on February 18, 2026. If this seems swift compared to the Pixel 9a series, you wouldn’t be mistaken, particularly since it hasn’t even been a full year — and the enhancements here are not particularly significant.
At first glance, the Pixel 10a appears strikingly similar to the Pixel 9a, and that’s because it largely is. The phone maintains the same minimalist back design featuring a capsule-styled camera module. One minor adjustment is that the Pixel 10a is 0.1 mm thicker, allowing the camera to fit completely flush. Additionally, it is approximately 3 grams lighter.
Google also proudly states this is the A-series phone crafted with the greatest amount of recycled materials to date. In terms of durability, it holds the same IP68 dust and water resistance rating as last year’s version.
On the front, not much has altered either. It sports the identical 6.3-inch pOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz and fairly thick bezels. However, the display protection has been enhanced, as Google now includes the upgraded Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The camera hardware remains the same as well, which means you still receive a 48MP main sensor alongside a 13MP ultra-wide camera.
Tensor G4 once more, for better or worse
Under the hood, the Pixel 10a is powered by the Tensor G4 chipset, which stands out, as previous A-series devices typically utilized the same chip as the base flagship. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Pixel 10 lineup employs Tensor G5.
That said, it still integrates some AI features from the Pixel 10 series. These features include Camera Coach, which utilizes Gemini to analyze scenes and provide suggestions, in addition to Auto Best Take. Other AI functionalities like Add Me and conversational editing in Google Photos are also present.
The Pixel 10a arrives with Android 16 and Material 3 Expressive out of the box and will receive seven years of OS updates, keeping pace with other models in the Pixel 10 lineup. Importantly, the Pixel 10a also includes AirDrop for Quick Share support. This feature was recently expanded to the Pixel 9 series, but the Pixel 9a missed out (for the time being).
There are several other additions as well, including satellite SOS support, a first for an A-series Pixel. This feature enables users to connect to emergency services when mobile networks or Wi-Fi are not available.
The battery capacity holds steady at 5,100 mAh, and wired charging remains at 23W. However, wireless charging sees a modest boost, increasing to 10W from 5W on the Pixel 9a.
Pricing and new Pixel Buds 2a hues
The Pixel 10a begins at $499/€549/₹49,999 and still provides only 128GB of storage on the base model. It comes in four colors: Lavender (purple-blue), Berry (red-pink), Fog (light green), and Obsidian (black). In conjunction with the phone, Google has also launched two new colors for Pixel Buds 2a, Berry and Fog, to complement the Pixel 10a color scheme.
Pre-orders are currently available for both the Pixel 10a and Pixel Buds 2a in new colors, with general availability anticipated around March 5, 2026.
Android Central’s Perspective
This may be one of Google’s least thrilling upgrades in recent years. On paper, the Pixel 10a doesn’t appear significantly distinct from the Pixel 9a because, in many respects, it isn’t.
I would have preferred to see an upgrade to the Tensor G5 and possibly some camera enhancements, but Google seems to have opted for caution this time. That said, a proper hands-on experience might still alter that perspective.
The Pixel 10a adheres closely to the Pixel 9a formula with a familiar design, Tensor G4 chip, and 6.3-inch 120 Hz display. Nevertheless, there are a few minor enhancements such as satellite SOS, AirDrop-Quick Share support, and advancements in wireless charging. You also receive seven years of updates and some new AI features from the Pixel 10 lineup.
Comprehensive Handbook for Google Pixel 10a Preorder Offers: Complimentary Phones, Gift Cards, Earbuds, and Additional Perks
The wait has ended!
Apple’s March event is anticipated to include several days of press statements without a keynote, based on speculations.
**Apple’s Upcoming Exclusive Experience on March 4: What to Anticipate**
On February 16, 2026, Apple formally revealed a “special experience” planned for March 4 at 9 a.m. ET, inviting media members to join events in New York, London, and Shanghai. This announcement has generated intrigue regarding the format and characteristics of the product launches set to occur during this time.
### Expected Format of the Event
Tech analyst John Gruber speculated that the March 4 event might not adhere to the conventional keynote structure. Instead, he suggested that Apple might favor a staggered announcement model, disseminating product details through press releases throughout the week. For example, Gruber suggested that Apple could introduce the iPhone 17e on Monday, new iPads on Tuesday, and new MacBooks on Wednesday. The “experience” could then provide a chance for media personnel to interact with the new products through hands-on demonstrations, negating the necessity for a traditional keynote presentation.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg supported Gruber’s views, indicating that he anticipates a similar format based on his observations. He also verified that there will not be a standard keynote presentation, noting that while Apple may create brief standalone videos for select announcements, there will be no live stream available for the general public.
### Speculated Product Announcements
As the date draws nearer, anticipation surrounding the products that Apple might unveil is building. Although specific information remains confidential, several items are rumored to be forthcoming. These include:
– iPhone 17e
– New iPad variations
– Updated MacBooks
### Coverage and Anticipations
Regardless of the format and substance of the announcements, 9to5Mac will offer extensive coverage of the events from New York City. As the tech community eagerly awaits further details, it is evident that Apple is adopting a distinctive strategy for its product announcements this March.
Stay tuned for updates and insights as the event progresses, and keep watching for the latest happenings in Apple’s product offerings.
Resolution of the ‘Double-Dipping’ Conflict Concerning Qualcomm iPhone Chips
**Summary of Apple’s and Qualcomm’s Legal Dispute: Overview of ‘Double-Dipping’ Accusations and Class Action Lawsuit Withdrawal**
The legal confrontation between Qualcomm and Apple marks a pivotal episode in the technology sector, largely focusing on the licensing and pricing strategies for radio chips utilized in iPhones. Central to Apple’s claims against Qualcomm was the concept of “double-dipping,” wherein Qualcomm purportedly charged Apple twice for the identical technology.
### Qualcomm ‘Double-Dipping’ Allegations
The controversy initiated when Apple charged Qualcomm with compelling them to pay for both the chips and an additional patent license. This practice, referred to in the industry as “no license, no chips,” necessitated Apple’s acquiescence to Qualcomm’s licensing prerequisites to secure the vital modem chips for their products. Apple contended that this approach escalated iPhone prices, as Qualcomm demanded a percentage of the total selling price instead of imposing a fixed cost per chip.
Over the years, the legal conflict intensified, with Apple striving to contest Qualcomm’s commercial practices. In the end, the matter was resolved outside of court; however, the ramifications of this dispute underscored critical concerns about patent licensing and pricing methodologies within the semiconductor sector.
### Withdrawal of Independent Class Action Lawsuit
While Apple concluded its claims against Qualcomm, a separate class action lawsuit was launched in the UK. This action aimed to advocate for iPhone and Samsung users, claiming that Qualcomm’s behaviors resulted in elevated prices for smartphones and sought redress for consumers impacted by these pricing tactics.
Nevertheless, recent updates reveal that this class action lawsuit has been retracted. The British consumer advocacy group, Which?, had initiated the case on behalf of around 29 million purchasers of iPhones or Samsung devices since 2015, seeking compensation totaling approximately £480 million (close to $652 million). Qualcomm declared that the lawsuit would be withdrawn, indicating that the chances of a successful claim were low.
### Conclusion
The legal disputes between Qualcomm and Apple highlight the intricacies of technology licensing and the competitive landscape within the semiconductor industry. As Apple progresses towards creating its own tailored radio chips, the ramifications of this conflict may shape future business approaches and regulatory examination in the tech sector.
