Mateusz Brzeziński

Verizon’s $20 outage credit puts mobile internet reliability back in focus
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Verizon’s $20 outage credit puts mobile internet reliability back in focus

Verizon will issue a $20 credit to customers after a 10-hour outage disrupted calls, texts, and mobile internet in several U.S. regions. The FCC said it will investigate the incident, which led cities to urge residents to use other carriers for emergency calls. Verizon blamed a software issue and denied a cyberattack. Competitors reported normal operations during the disruption.
January 16, 2026
Tiny ‘earthquake-on-a-chip’ phonon laser aims to shrink smartphone wireless hardware
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Tiny ‘earthquake-on-a-chip’ phonon laser aims to shrink smartphone wireless hardware

Researchers in Boulder have demonstrated an electrically driven “phonon laser” on a chip, generating surface acoustic waves at 1 GHz with 0.25 milliwatts output. The device, made from silicon, lithium niobate, and indium gallium arsenide, could shrink radio components in smartphones. Scaling to higher frequencies and mass production remain unresolved.
January 16, 2026
Update your Bluetooth headphones now: Google Fast Pair “WhisperPair” bug risks eavesdropping and tracking
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Update your Bluetooth headphones now: Google Fast Pair “WhisperPair” bug risks eavesdropping and tracking

Researchers at KU Leuven disclosed “WhisperPair” attacks allowing nearby hackers to hijack Fast Pair Bluetooth audio devices from brands including Sony, Google, and JBL. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-36911, lets attackers connect without user consent and intercept audio or track location. Fixes require firmware updates, but most users have not installed them. Google said it has seen no real-world exploitation so far.
January 16, 2026
Michigan’s classroom cellphone ban bill is back — and headed to the Senate
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Michigan’s classroom cellphone ban bill is back — and headed to the Senate

The Michigan House passed House Bill 4141, which would require public and charter schools to restrict student smartphone use during class, with exceptions for medical needs and emergencies. The bill excludes private schools and allows districts to set stricter rules. The measure now moves to the Senate, with supporters targeting implementation for the 2026-27 school year. Governor Whitmer has called the issue a priority.
January 16, 2026
Your Next Smartphone Could Cost More in 2026 — The AI Memory Crunch Is Hitting Budget Phones First
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Your Next Smartphone Could Cost More in 2026 — The AI Memory Crunch Is Hitting Budget Phones First

Memory chip shortages are expected to drive smartphone prices up 6% to 8% in 2026, with low-end models hit hardest, analysts say. Nothing CEO Carl Pei reports memory prices have tripled in some cases due to AI data center demand. The Nothing Phone 4a series is set to launch in India before March, featuring faster UFS 3.1 storage. IDC predicts global smartphone shipments will shrink this year as costs rise.
January 16, 2026
Samsung Wallet adds Toyota Digital Car Key support as 2026 RAV4 rollout starts
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Samsung Wallet adds Toyota Digital Car Key support as 2026 RAV4 rollout starts

Samsung Wallet’s Digital Key will work with select 2026 Toyota RAV4 models launching this month in the US, Canada, and Mexico. The feature uses ultra-wideband and near-field communication for locking, unlocking, and starting vehicles with compatible Galaxy phones. Wider availability and support for more Toyota models are expected as 2026 vehicles launch in other regions.
January 16, 2026
China’s Viral “Are You Dead?” App Disappears From China Stores as Solo Living Soars
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China’s Viral “Are You Dead?” App Disappears From China Stores as Solo Living Soars

Apple removed the viral check-in app “Are You Dead?” from its mainland China App Store early Friday after backlash over its blunt name. The app, now rebranded as “Demumu” and charging 8 yuan, reached No. 2 on China’s paid-app chart. Developers said the takedown was abrupt. The app targets people living alone, alerting contacts if users miss daily check-ins.
January 16, 2026
iPhone reboot alert: why Apple’s iOS 26.2 update is suddenly urgent
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iPhone reboot alert: why Apple’s iOS 26.2 update is suddenly urgent

Apple is urging iPhone users to update to iOS 26.2 or iOS 18.7.3 and restart devices after two WebKit flaws were linked to targeted attacks. StatCounter data cited by Tom’s Guide shows only 15.4% of iPhones had adopted iOS 26 as of January 2026. The vulnerabilities affect all browsers on iOS. Apple credited Google’s Threat Analysis Group for reporting one of the issues.
January 16, 2026
Technology News 16.01.2026
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Technology News 16.01.2026

Rep. John Moolenaar urged the NSF to block Chinese institutions from the ACCESS supercomputing program, citing export-control risks and screenshots showing Chinese universities listed as eligible. Separately, a federal judge ordered Anna's Archive to delete all WorldCat.org data after a default judgment for unauthorized scraping that caused outages. Anthropic’s report finds coding dominates Claude AI use, with the US, India, Japan, UK, and South Korea leading global adoption.
January 16, 2026
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra drops to $329.99 as Woot and Samsung UK push fresh deals
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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra drops to $329.99 as Woot and Samsung UK push fresh deals

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) dropped to $329.99 on Woot, nearly half its U.S. retail price, for the international 47mm LTE model with a 90-day warranty. Samsung’s UK site is offering £120 off the same watch plus up to £70 trade-in credit, with deals valid into March. The U.S. Samsung store lists the Ultra at $529.99. Other Galaxy Watch models are also discounted.
January 15, 2026
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