Lifestyle News: 9 August 2025 - 17 August 2025

November 10, 2025, 5:22 PM EST. Reports that the Galaxy S26 Plus would disappear appear to be exaggerated. New renders based on leaked specs from OnLeaks via Android Headlines show a familiar design with a smaller camera island beneath the triple cameras, not the full-width island rumored for the S26 Edge. The S26 Plus is expected to be about 7.35mm thick-thicker than the S25 Edge but similar to the S25 Plus. The broader S26 lineup has seen shifting plans, with the Edge allegedly canceled and the 'Plus' replacing the regular Pro in some leaks. Samsung is tipped to unveil the lineup in early 2026.

November 10, 2025, 5:20 PM EST. ImageSat International (ISI) has secured a $9.1 million contract to supply satellite services from its EROS-C constellation to a defense customer in Asia. The EROS-C system delivers very high 30 cm resolution imagery, increased revisit rates, and fast tasking cycles, enabling timely, actionable intelligence for strategic and tactical missions. With secure data delivery and persistent monitoring, ISI positions defense organizations to rely on a space-based asset that enhances operational readiness and national security. CEO Noam Segal stated the agreement reflects the trust in ISI as a partner for advanced intelligence, offering priority access to EROS-C to ensure timely, high-quality imagery for informed decision-making.

November 10, 2025, 5:18 PM EST. An AI-generated retirement home account on TikTok, Basin Creek Retirement, has gone viral with over 63,000 followers, posting pensioners in Halloween-inspired scenes. Yet the clips are entirely AI-generated, sparking disappointment as viewers discover they are fake. Some signs of fakery, like extra fingers or misaligned lip-syncs and distorted logos, can reveal the ruse, though many clips look convincing. The account includes a bio claiming a fictional world made with AI and even a merch shop, but fast scrolling can miss the disclosure. This raises ongoing questions about labeling of AI content, transparency, and the ethics of emotionally resonant, synthetic performances online.

November 10, 2025, 5:14 PM EST. Samsung is broadening the One UI 8 Watch beta to the Galaxy Watch 5 family, currently in South Korea with a possible US expansion later. Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro join the beta lineup for the Wear OS 6-based update, while the Galaxy Watch 6 series recently received Beta 5 (build ending ZYK2) addressing DST time display issues and boosting performance. Beta participants can enroll via the Samsung Members app. Samsung has already pushed updates to the Watch 7 and Ultra, and 2025 models ship with One UI 8 Watch out of the box; mass rollout to all regions could follow, with the Watch 4 lineup and Watch FE likely skipping beta and jumping straight to a stable release. We'll keep you posted on global timing.

November 10, 2025, 5:12 PM EST. Apple's surprise reveal of the M1 in November 2020 kickstarted a dramatic shift for the Mac. The first wave - MacBook Air, MacBook Pro (13-inch), and Mac mini - used Apple silicon while preserving familiar chassis. Early speed tests showed the M1 outpacing Intel, even with Rosetta translating Intel apps. Five years on, Apple keeps selling M1-era machines, a testament to the chip's longevity. The rollout expanded to new models and the Mac Studio, boosting Mac sales to record levels. The five-year period with Apple silicon became the Mac's best era financially. Critics wondered if a mobile-centric design could power a desktop, but Apple's unified architecture and efficiency strategy proved otherwise.