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Google Affirms That Sideloading Android Applications Will Persist

diminishing the credibility of software patents while advocating for reform that could hinder companies from leveraging such patents in litigation, Google is rapidly amassing a notable collection of patents of its own at a significantly accelerated pace compared to previous years. Although this strategy may be interpreted as a means to shield its Android operating system, which faces challenges from competitors like Apple and Microsoft—as well as a means to retaliate—it seems that Google is safeguarding its diverse interests across various sectors where it operates. MIT’s Technology Review indicates that this year, Google is anticipated to secure approximately 1,800 patents, placing it among the top 10 recipients of patents, surpassing firms like GE and Intel. Google currently ranks No. 3 or No. 4 on this list, following IBM and Microsoft. To underscore the substantial shift from the old Google, in 2007, the year the iPhone was launched, Google was granted merely 38 patents.

Steve Jobs famously remarked that with the iPhone, Apple opted to “patent it all,” following a $100 million lawsuit loss involving the iPad. Apple emerged as a primary adversary in court regarding Android, achieving several favorable rulings in cases against Samsung, HTC, and Motorola both in the U.S. and internationally.

Microsoft, another key competitor of Google, is reportedly generating around $2 billion annually from licensing agreements established with a considerable number of Android device manufacturers.

Google patents chart versus the competition | Image source: USPTO via MIT’s Technology Review

Gone are the days of 2003, when Google secured just four patents throughout the entire year. Today, the organization possesses a treasure of roughly 51,000 patents and is granted an average of 10 patents each day that the U.S. Patent & Trademark office is

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“2002 Romantic Comedy Starring Yellowstone’s Josh Lucas Becomes Popular on Netflix”

“The Morning Show” on Apple TV+, for instance, and for also continuously being part of Hello Sunshine — the media firm she co-founded and transformed into a hub for female-led narratives. However, back in the early 2000s, she was solidifying her box office fame with romantic comedies, and one of the most unforgettable from that time, “Sweet Home Alabama,” has recently made a comeback.

The 2002 film is skyrocketing on Netflix at the moment, currently ranked #7 on the Top 10 movies chart in the U.S. As evidence of the enduring appreciation from fans, the film boasts a 78% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes from over 250,000 ratings. Critics, to their credit, have been much less generous (highlighted by the movie’s 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), but audiences have made their voices heard: More than two decades later, indicated by its trending status once again, “Sweet Home Alabama” remains a beloved comfort-watch classic.

Sweet Home Alabama’s Netflix resurgence

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Budget-Friendly 4K Streaming with the New $40 Amazon Fire TV Stick

one of the leading streaming devices within its Fire TV Stick range. These small media streamers provide a straightforward method to add smart TV capabilities to older televisions or to substitute the current operating system of your TV. For numerous years, obtaining a 4K Fire TV Stick required a minimum investment of $50, unless a promotion was on hand, which often occurs with Amazon’s Fire TV offerings. Nonetheless, as 4K televisions have become nearly omnipresent, the company is launching a new and more budget-friendly 4K streamer to give consumers another option.

Named the Fire TV Stick 4K Select, this latest streaming media device comes with a retail price of $40, which is $10 less than the Fire TV Stick 4K, making it an excellent choice for anyone in search of an entry-level 4K streaming media device. Besides Walmart’s Onn brand, other major contenders in this category do not provide a 4K streamer for under $40. Currently, Amazon’s new 4K streamer is available for pre-order and will be released on October 15. Here’s all the essential information you need about it.

What does the Fire TV Stick 4K

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Apple Music Executive Talks About the Streaming Platform, Beats, and Its Place as Today’s MTV

During the Powerbeats Fit event, we had the opportunity to interview Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Music, Beats, and Sports, at the Apple Music Studio in Culver City. Schusser, who was involved in the initial launch of Apple Music, reflected on the first ten years of the service, the fundamental integration between Beats and Apple, and the expansion of the company’s accessories.

The VP states that Apple Music emphasizes the sharing of songs, playlists, and albums, and that Apple Music Radio plays a significant role in that approach. “We’re aiming to make everything sociable, but our communication aspect is more about a fan experience, a contemporary version of MTV, an artist platform.” When questioned about the company’s rivals, which often seem to be more concentrated on social features, Schusser mentioned: “I don’t believe our competitors have more social features; they simply promote them more.”

In recent years, Apple has advanced in the social facet of the music streaming service by launching enhanced Apple Music Replay playlists, personalized recommendations based on what friends are listening to, and more.

Apple Music underwent changes in iOS 26, but macOS Tahoe is still behind

Before discussing Beats and the new Powerbeats Fit, I inquired with Schusser about the recent Apple Music redesign in iOS 26. The new Liquid Glass UI introduced greater consistency across the various Apple platforms. Nevertheless, the Apple Music app on macOS Tahoe continues to resemble the traditional iTunes experience while not providing all of the features available in the iOS app. For instance, the auto-pin feature on the Mac lacks the same shortcuts found on the iPhone, and the Mac retains certain exclusive functionalities, like a proper play count for songs.

“It’s interesting that the Mac actually offers features in Apple Music, such as creating folders in your library, that you can’t do on iPhone. We strive to be best-in-class across Apple platforms, including the Mac,” Schusser shares. “However, the Mac is, in terms of usage, a smaller platform compared to others. That’s why sometimes features available on iPhone or iPad aren’t yet on the Mac.”

Apple VP on Powerbeats lineup and new accessories

Apple purchased Beats in 2014. Despite the acquisition, it still sometimes feels as though the two companies operate independently. Schusser, VP of Music, Beats, and Sports, states that Beats has always been in sync with Apple. “We’re 100% an Apple company. Our engineers collaborate closely with Apple engineers. Beats is centered around the blend of fitness and music, targeting a youthful, diverse demographic, vibrant colors, and cultural marketing. This enhances Apple products like AirPods.”

Schusser further discusses what sets the Powerbeats lineup apart. “We noticed that Beats Fit Pro users are quite active, so we created Powerbeats Fit for workouts. We focused intensely on the wingtip design to create the ideal headphone for an athletic lifestyle. It was thoroughly debated internally, but it met our high standards for Powerbeats.”

The executive also detailed the beginnings of Beats’ development of cases and cables: “At Beats, we have our core products, but we’ve always enjoyed collaborating with celebrities and brands. Each time we did those collaborations, we were also creating custom cables. As time passed, we became really skilled at crafting these beautiful, high-quality cables in great colors, and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we sold them?’ That led us to consider what more we could achieve with the brand. As part of Apple, we believed we could create something magical. We’re essentially at the conclusion of year one and transitioning into year two with many more ideas. Most importantly, customers appreciate it.”

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Samsung Working on Galaxy S26 Plus After Unsatisfactory Galaxy S25 Edge Sales

Approximately a month prior, a leak regarding the Galaxy S26 from a reliable source provided insight into supposed dummy units for the three models in the lineup: Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 Ultra. The revelation was predictable, as the Galaxy S26 launch event is scheduled for early 2026. However, a report from the Korean-language site ETNews on Wednesday provides a fresh viewpoint. Samsung is reportedly mulling the release of a Galaxy S26 Plus variant as part of the Galaxy S26 lineup, given the lackluster sales of the Galaxy S25 Edge. This could lead the Galaxy S26 series to include four models rather than three, with the Plus serving as a buffer against potentially diminished interest in the forthcoming Edge variant.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy S25 Edge in May, a few months before Apple launched the iPhone Air. By the time the Air hit the market, Samsung could claim it was the first to deliver an ultra-slim flagship smartphone. Nevertheless, Samsung might have designed the Galaxy S25 Edge specifically due to knowledge of the Air’s impending release. While this remains speculative, it is founded on rumors that emerged leading up to the Galaxy S25 debut. The Galaxy S25 Edge surfaced in leaks considerably later than the other three Galaxy S25 models, mirroring the current situation with the Galaxy S26 Plus. This indicated that the development for the Edge was delayed in comparison to the other Galaxy S models.

ETNews reports that sales for the Galaxy S25 Edge have not met expectations, with production declining since June, a month following the ultra-slim phone’s debut. The article mentions that smartphone sales tend to peak within the first three months post-launch. By September, Samsung should have been able to gauge the anticipated demand for ultra-slim smartphones.

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Apple Asks Court to Throw Out Lawsuit Submitted by Elon Musk’s xAI

seeking a judge to reject xAI’s lawsuit targeting Apple and OpenAI. The initial lawsuit, as you may remember, claims that Apple operates as a monopolist and is leveraging its market dominance to support ChatGPT — through its agreement with OpenAI — in order to hinder competing AI applications from thriving in the App Store. The lawsuit further contends that iPhone users “have no alternative but to utilize ChatGPT, even if they would rather opt for more inventive and creative products like xAI’s Grok.”

If the legal argument seems intricate, it’s due to its nature. Apple asserts that the notion of requiring equitable treatment for every AI application lacks a legal basis. Additionally, the legal document states that there is no antitrust legislation mandating that Apple must collaborate with all AI chatbot applications, “irrespective of quality, privacy, or safety considerations, technical viability, development stage, or commercial conditions.”

Apple further contends that xAI’s assertion regarding favoritism towards ChatGPT is unfounded as it is “commonly understood that Apple plans to engage with other generative AI chatbots” in the forthcoming. Indeed, various reports have suggested that Apple might integrate Google Gemini into upcoming versions of iOS.

A detailed examination of Musk’s dispute with Apple

“Netflix Show by ‘Peaky Blinders’ Creator Suggested for ‘Succession’ Enthusiasts”

“Peaky Blinders” enthusiasts. While you wait for the upcoming “Peaky Blinders”-themed Netflix film “The Immortal Man,” featuring Cillian Murphy reprising his role as Thomas Shelby, creator Steven Knight has just released a brand-new historical drama on the streaming platform that could keep you entertained in the meantime — this fresh series merges the operatic family drama of “Succession” with the period aesthetics of Knight’s gangster saga. “House of Guinness,” which takes place in 19th-century Dublin and New York, reveals the true story of the dynasty behind the brewing powerhouse in a show that feels like “Succession” meets traditional, pint-filled taverns.

The show, which has quickly risen to the #5 position on Netflix’s U.S. Top 10 TV rankings, begins in the wake of the passing of brewing tycoon Sir Benjamin Guinness, which instantly throws his four heirs — Arthur, Anne, Ben, and Edward — into turmoil. “It’s the remarkable tale of a family who happens to be the successors of the largest brewery in the world,” Knight comments in a conversation about “House of Guinness” with Netflix’s Tudum. “They’re youthful and face the challenge of managing this immensely successful brand. The primary concern is: Don’t mess it up. And the secondary concern is to expand Guinness even further.”

House of Guinness is a narrative about authority and heritage

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Google Maps Launches Fresh Aerial Button to Improve Street View Experience

new enhancements in Google Maps that aim to enhance the experience for users exploring their environment with the application. Following the discovery of code in Google Maps that reveals Google’s intentions to revamp the navigation functionalities for walking and public transit, Android Authority identified another upcoming feature in the app’s code aimed at the virtual exploration aspects of Google Maps, including Street View. Additionally, the blog successfully activated the new Aerial View button that Google has created, which will enable users to switch seamlessly between Street View and Aerial/Satellite View, eliminating the need to search for the correct button to access their desired exploration mode.

The Aerial button is included in the code of Google Maps v25.39.07 for Android; however, it remains uncertain when Google will activate it. The code discoveries, along with the ability of developers to enable it, suggest that Google might be nearing a wider release, although that is merely conjecture. What appears to be certain is that the Aerial View mode will facilitate exploring specific places you intend to visit shortly. As you will observe in the following video, the new button allows you to alternate between the two modes you may frequently utilize to visualize the area you’re preparing to visit.

How the new Aerial button functions

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How to Enhance Battery Longevity on Windows Laptops and MacBooks: Two Efficient Techniques

10 prominent PC manufacturers such as Dell or Asus, or perhaps opt for a MacBook Pro M4, a few adjustments to your power configurations and application usage can assist you in deriving even greater efficiency from each charge.

Today, we will discuss two of these battery-conserving techniques, both relevant for Windows and macOS. These strategies involve activating low power mode and preventing resource-intensive applications from utilizing excessive CPU power. Without further delay, let’s delve into discovering where to locate these battery-conserving features on your PC or Mac, and how to employ them for optimal performance from your laptop.

How to utilize your laptop’s integrated battery saver