I use Plex almost every day, and I’ve noticed several massive “improvements” over the last year. While I’m happy with most of the changes, one of my favorite features—and very underrated—was on the wrong end of them. Allow me to explain.

Android has evolved by leaps and bounds since the early days, and as a result, dozens of helpful features are hiding all over the place. Whether you're a long-time user or just switched from the iPhone, here's a hidden feature I use daily that most people have forgotten even exists.

I use free apps every day, and I write about them constantly. In many cases, they’re genuinely great. Some of the most useful software on my phone and computer doesn’t cost me a cent upfront. But that doesn’t mean it’s actually free.

Brazilian researchers developed an AI system that analyzes WhatsApp audio messages to identify depression, showing high accuracy and potential for low-cost, real-world mental health screening.

The post Your WhatsApp voice notes could help screen for early signs of depression appeared first on Digital Trends.

If your Gmail account doesn’t seem to be working properly today, you’re not alone.

I used to spend a lot of time commuting, but these days I’m lucky enough to work remotely. My wife isn’t. She drives about 20 miles each way on busy highways, and like a lot of people, I worry about her every time she pulls out of the driveway. Late last year, I bought her a dashcam. It’s nothing fancy, just something recording in the background, but she really likes it and says it gives her peace of mind. That alone made it feel worth it to me.

I used to treat my Linux app menu like a forgotten drawer. I rarely opened it, only to switch to my terminal a bit later. Then I found Ulauncher. It quietly replaced my start menu, app grid, and desktop shortcuts. Once I got used to it, I wondered why I ever clicked through menus in the first place.

TikTok users are freaking out over a mention of "immigration status" data collection, but lawyers explain the disclosure is related to state privacy laws.

Kindle eReaders are obviously great for reading books, but that’s not all they can do. One of the coolest lesser-known features is the ability to send web articles to your Kindle. Instapaper is a great way to do this, but starting next month, the app’s "Send to Kindle" feature will no longer be free.

More ads are coming to App Store search results starting in March, Apple shared on an advertising help page. The company first said that it would increase the number of App Store ads last month, and this new rollout of search ads will begin on Tuesday, March 3, according to a developer email viewed by MacRumors.

"Search is the way most people find and download apps on the App Store, with nearly 65 percent of downloads happening directly after a search," Apple says. "To help give advertisers more opportunities to drive downloads from search results, Apple Ads will introduce additional ads across search queries." Up until this point, ads for related apps have appeared at the top of search results, but now they'll also appear "further down in search results," according to Apple.

App Store activity makes up a significant portion of what Apple calls its "services" business. The company makes money on every App Store transaction, whether it's an app download or an in-app purchase, and increasingly, by selling ad space to companies looking to reach users. App Store ads are hardly new, but the number of ads has steadily increased over the years. Apple added ads to the Today tab in 2022 — a space that's already home to editorial curation that doubles as marketing — and in 2025, Bloomberg reported the company planned to bring ads to Apple Maps.

Apple's decision to rebrand its advertising business from Apple Search Ads to Apple Ads in April 2025 was maybe the best indication that the company was interested in expanding the number of places it would help partners try and reach customers. And it makes sense: the company's billions of devices, each pre-installed with default apps, are some of the most valuable real estate it owns.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-will-begin-showing-more-app-store-ads-starting-in-march-192031226.html?src=rss

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The addition is meant to just be a fun way to explore your photos and experiment with Google's Gemini AI technology, and specifically Nano Banana.

Meta today said that it is pausing teens' access to its AI characters globally across all its apps. The company mentioned that it is not abandoning its efforts but wants to develop an updated version of AI characters for teens.

The business model behind these apps replicates the same dark patterns as mobile games.

The deal ends a six-year long political saga that started in 2020 when President Donald Trump tried to ban the app over national security concerns during his first term.

Register now to save up to $680 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass and get a second ticket at 50% off. This offer ends next week on January 30, or once the first 500 tickets are claimed — whichever comes first.

Microsoft’s new winapp CLI simplifies Windows app development with one-command setup, faster testing, and easier packaging.

The post Microsoft Launches winapp to Simplify Windows App Development appeared first on TechRepublic.

Microsoft’s new winapp CLI simplifies Windows app development with one-command setup, faster testing, and easier packaging.

The post Microsoft Launches winapp to Simplify Windows App Development appeared first on TechRepublic.

The world of Linux software is hard to navigate, but with there are a lot of good ones worth checking out if you know where to look. Have a look at this text drawing app, packet analyzer, and Wikipedia browser.

Blockit, an AI agent that communicates directly with other calendars, has raised $5 million in seed funding led by Sequoia.

Here’s a fun and somewhat terrifying fact: you’re on a planet right now. We all know this, but it’s hard to really visualize. The good news is there’s a website for that, and it can tell you exactly how far Earth has traveled through space since you arrived on it.