Google is testing a change that gives some new accounts 5GB by default, with the full 15GB unlocked only after phone verification.

The post Google’s Default 15GB Free Storage Is Ending for Some New Accounts appeared first on TechRepublic.

Google previewed Android 17 with Gemini AI tools, AirDrop-style sharing, privacy upgrades, multitasking changes, and stronger security controls.

The post Top New Features in Android 17 You’ll Notice This Year appeared first on TechRepublic.

Apple expanded Limit Precise Location in iOS 26.5, but the carrier privacy feature still requires select iPhones and iPads.

The post Apple’s iPhone Privacy Feature Expands to More Users Worldwide appeared first on TechRepublic.

People have been asking me, possibly in jest, why I use a Lumia 950 XL. So here are some of the reasons why.

Samsung’s One UI 8.5 rollout began in Korea on May 6, bringing Galaxy AI upgrades to select flagship phones and tablets in phased markets.

The post Samsung One UI 8.5 Rollout Begins: Eligible Galaxy Devices and How to Check appeared first on TechRepublic.

Phone cases have largely settled into two camps: the ones that protect your phone without anyone noticing they exist, and the ones that make a statement with printed graphics, colors, or textures. Neither approach has found a way to make the back of a phone genuinely interesting rather than just decorated. Designer Daniel Idle found a third option that neither camp seems to have considered.

The Terrarium Phone Case is a clear resin case for the iPhone 16 Pro Max with an actual planted environment sealed inside the back cavity. Moss, small-leafed plants, and a stabilized soil substrate are embedded within the transparent shell, creating a thin cross-section of living terrain that you carry around with you wherever the phone goes. It’s a working phone case, a functional terrarium, and an oddly calming thing to have in your pocket all at once.

Designer: Daniel Idle

The construction involved 3D modeling and fabrication in clear resin, producing a case with enough depth in the back wall to house soil, roots, and plant matter. The plants are packed using a stabilized substrate that keeps the arrangement intact when the phone is picked up, rotated, tilted, or slipped into a bag. The camera cutout is fully preserved; the charging port at the bottom remains accessible; the phone continues to work exactly as it always did.

What keeps everything alive inside the sealed cavity is a closed-loop moisture system. The plants and soil generate humidity, which evaporates toward the inner surface of the resin, condenses back into droplets, and cycles down again. Light passing through the clear shell feeds the plants from outside, while the substrate provides gradual nutrient release. The whole thing is, in a fairly literal sense, a miniature ecosystem that sustains itself without any intervention from the person carrying it.

The condensation that forms on the inside of the shell during high-humidity moments is part of the visual appeal rather than a flaw to be engineered away. Seeing that vapor cycle through the case is a reminder that something in there is alive, actively breathing and responding to its environment, in the same pocket or bag as a device specifically engineered to minimize all biological interference.

There’s a running thread through design culture about bringing nature back into objects and spaces that have drifted too far from it. Biophilic design has become a recognizable term for everything from moss walls in offices to plant-filled shelving in apartments. Most of those applications treat plants as decoration layered on top of an existing design. Idle’s approach is different because the plant system isn’t decoration; it’s structural, sealed directly into the object’s body as a core component rather than an afterthought.

Of course, there will be some reservations about putting moisture and soil so close to your phone, which might be resistant to water and dust, but only from brief encounters. Good thing, then, that it’s still a concept project right now. But as a thought experiment about what a phone case could reasonably contain, it lands somewhere between genuinely novel and gently absurd, which is probably the most honest place for a good idea to start.

The post Phone Cases Are Boring, This One Puts a Living Terrarium Inside first appeared on Yanko Design.

A researcher found that Microsoft Edge is the only Chromium browser that loads all your saved passwords in plaintext in memory on startup. If that makes you nervous, a dedicated password manager is a safe and simple way to protect sensitive accounts.

A new Telegram client for Windows Phone uses clever tricks to work around the unsupported platform's lack of push notification support.

Finally, after almost a decade, I've replaced my battered Astro A50 headset. The Arctis Nova Pro Omni ticks every single box for multiplatform gamers, in an option far more affordable than its Elite cousin.

The Razer Barracuda Pro is a special premium headset that elevates the sound of music and video games with great sound and the ability to connect to devices simultaneously, and it's now on offer for a 44% discount.

Android 17 rumors point to Motion Assist, App Bubbles, native app locking, Gemini updates, and Android XR news ahead of Google I/O 2026.

The post Android 17: Everything We Know About Google’s Biggest Year Yet appeared first on TechRepublic.

Apple’s proposed $250M Siri settlement could pay eligible iPhone buyers. See who qualifies, how much they could receive, and what comes next.

The post Apple’s $250M Siri Settlement Could Pay Eligible iPhone Buyers appeared first on TechRepublic.

OpenAI is reportedly accelerating development of an AI agent phone designed to bring ChatGPT deeper into mobile hardware.

The post OpenAI’s Rumored ‘AI Agent Phone’ Could Arrive Sooner Than Expected appeared first on TechRepublic.

Meta patched two WhatsApp flaws affecting iOS, Android, and Windows users, including bugs tied to risky files, links, and Reels previews.

The post New WhatsApp Flaws Could Affect Billions of Users After Meta Security Patch appeared first on TechRepublic.

Windows Phone 8 is seeing a surprising revival through community efforts like 8Marketplace, which restores app downloads, alongside patched apps that connect to modern services like Bluesky.

A fan has brought Discord to Windows Phone 7 using unofficial apps, showcasing ongoing community support for the discontinued platform in 2026.

Although Windows Phone went away years ago, it has lived on in the hearts of many. This custom Android launcher returns the feel of WP 8.1, and it's starting to get attention.

Apple reported strong quarterly revenue as iPhone demand surged, but questions remain around AI strategy, rising costs, and leadership changes.

The post Apple Sales Jump as ‘Most Popular’ iPhone Fuels Growth appeared first on TechRepublic.

See what you missed in Daily Tech Insider from April 27–May 1.

The post AI Power Plays, Security Breaches, and Industry Shifts Define the Week in Tech appeared first on TechRepublic.