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Samsung Display just put a name on its newest QD-OLED upgrade, and it’s one that’s easy to shop around. It calls the tech QD-OLED Penta Tandem, a five-layer organic light-emitting structure meant to squeeze more brightness and longevity out of premium monitors and TVs without cranking power the hard way.

The change centers on the blue emitting layer, the light source in Samsung Display’s QD-OLED approach. The company says it moved from four blue layers to five and paired that with newer organic materials, which helps spread energy across more of the stack. That’s a big deal as high-end monitors chase higher pixel density, since each pixel’s light-emitting area gets smaller and it becomes tougher to keep luminance steady.

Samsung Display says Penta Tandem is set for a wider rollout across flagship sizes this year, including 27-inch 4K, 31.5-inch 4K, 34-inch WQHD, and a forthcoming 49-inch Dual QHD model. It also says the same panel approach has been used in top-tier self-emissive TV lineups from key customers since 2025.

More brightness, less strain

Samsung Display’s headline claims are aimed at the two specs buyers care about, HDR pop and durability. It says the five-layer stack improves luminous efficiency by 1.3x compared to last year’s four-layer design and doubles lifespan. In plain terms, that can mean higher peak brightness at the same power, or similar brightness with lower power draw.

On peak numbers, the company cites up to 4,500 nits for TVs and up to 1,300 nits for monitors, measured at 3% OPR (on pixel ratio). That’s a small highlight window, but it’s still a useful clue about HDR headroom for things like reflections, sparks, and bright UI elements.

The clearest win is 4K monitors

Where this upgrade should matter most is high-resolution screens in smaller sizes, where sharpness and brightness can end up pulling against each other. Samsung Display points to its 27-inch UHD QD-OLED panel at 160 PPI, calling it the highest pixel density among self-emissive gaming monitors, and says it is the only company mass-producing a 27-inch UHD self-emissive display at that 160 PPI spec.

There’s also a standards angle. Samsung Display says panels using the Penta Tandem stack can meet VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 requirements, and it claims the only 31.5-inch UHD monitor currently certified at that level is built on its panel.

What to look for when you shop

Treat Penta Tandem as a panel-generation marker, not a model name. When new 2026 monitors and TVs get announced, look for that panel callout, then dig into HDR measurements beyond the tiny 3% OPR figure, since larger bright scenes are where heat and power limits usually show up.

If you’re not in a rush, waiting for the next refresh in your preferred size could be the smarter move, especially if you want strong HDR highlights and better long-term panel health.

Amazon-owned eero is selling a new add-on called eero Signal 4G LTE, a compact box meant to keep your home network online during internet outages. Plug it into a compatible eero router and your Wi-Fi can fall back to cellular data, so work calls, cameras, and smart home routines don’t instantly go dark.

There’s a catch, the cellular data is tied to an annual eero Plus plan managed in the eero app. The hardware by itself won’t provide the fallback connection, you’re also committing to eero’s service to actually use the backup.

It plugs in, then takes over

Signal connects over USB-C to any USB-C powered eero that supports Wi-Fi 6 or newer, plus eero PoE Gateway. It can share a single power adapter with the eero it’s attached to, which keeps the setup from turning into another pile of bricks and cables.

After you add it in the eero app, Signal stays in standby until your primary connection fails. When it does, Signal switches the whole network over to LTE, then drops back to standby once your ISP is back. No extra steps.

Where you place it matters because reception is everything. eero’s guidance is to pair Signal with the eero located where cell service is strongest, ideally higher up and closer to an exterior wall.

The subscription caveat

The backup connection runs through eero Plus, with two data tiers. The standard annual eero Plus plan includes up to 10GB of backup data per year, aimed at brief, occasional outages. New annual eero Plus subscribers who buy Signal get six months included, then the service renews at $99.99 for the next 12 months.

If you need more breathing room, eero Plus 100 includes up to 100GB of backup data per month. eero lists it at $99 for the first year (50% off), then it renews at $199.99 per year.

What to watch next

Signal is designed as a safety net at one address and it still expects a working primary internet connection most of the time, so it’s not a replacement for broadband. eero includes a three-year warranty and says Signal receives updates for security patches and new features.

Before you buy, check LTE strength where your router lives, then decide whether 10GB a year matches your typical outage pattern. If you can wait, eero says a 5G version is planned for later in 2026 with a $199.99 price.

Signal is available in the US for $99.99 on eero.com and Amazon.

Amazon-owned eero is selling a new add-on called eero Signal 4G LTE, a compact box meant to keep your home network online during internet outages. Plug it into a compatible eero router and your Wi-Fi can fall back to cellular data, so work calls, cameras, and smart home routines don’t instantly go dark.

There’s a catch, the cellular data is tied to an annual eero Plus plan managed in the eero app. The hardware by itself won’t provide the fallback connection, you’re also committing to eero’s service to actually use the backup.

It plugs in, then takes over

Signal connects over USB-C to any USB-C powered eero that supports Wi-Fi 6 or newer, plus eero PoE Gateway. It can share a single power adapter with the eero it’s attached to, which keeps the setup from turning into another pile of bricks and cables.

After you add it in the eero app, Signal stays in standby until your primary connection fails. When it does, Signal switches the whole network over to LTE, then drops back to standby once your ISP is back. No extra steps.

Where you place it matters because reception is everything. eero’s guidance is to pair Signal with the eero located where cell service is strongest, ideally higher up and closer to an exterior wall.

The subscription caveat

The backup connection runs through eero Plus, with two data tiers. The standard annual eero Plus plan includes up to 10GB of backup data per year, aimed at brief, occasional outages. New annual eero Plus subscribers who buy Signal get six months included, then the service renews at $99.99 for the next 12 months.

If you need more breathing room, eero Plus 100 includes up to 100GB of backup data per month. eero lists it at $99 for the first year (50% off), then it renews at $199.99 per year.

What to watch next

Signal is designed as a safety net at one address and it still expects a working primary internet connection most of the time, so it’s not a replacement for broadband. eero includes a three-year warranty and says Signal receives updates for security patches and new features.

Before you buy, check LTE strength where your router lives, then decide whether 10GB a year matches your typical outage pattern. If you can wait, eero says a 5G version is planned for later in 2026 with a $199.99 price.

Signal is available in the US for $99.99 on eero.com and Amazon.

Microsoft is warning that the rush to deploy workplace AI agents can create a new kind of insider threat, the AI double agent. In its Cyber Pulse report, it says attackers can twist an assistant’s access or feed it untrusted input, then use that reach to cause damage inside an organization.

The problem isn’t that AI is new. It’s that control is uneven. Microsoft says agents are spreading across industries, while some deployments slip past IT review and security teams lose sight of what is running and what it can touch.

That blind spot gets riskier when an agent can remember and act. Microsoft points to a recent fraudulent campaign its Defender team investigated that used memory poisoning to tamper with an AI assistant’s stored context and steer future outputs.

Shadow agents widen the blast radius

Microsoft ties the double agent risk to speed. When rollouts outpace security and compliance, shadow AI shows up fast, and attackers get more chances to hijack a tool that already has legitimate access. That’s the nightmare scenario.

The report frames it as an access problem as much as an AI problem. Give an agent broad privileges, and a single tricked workflow can reach data and systems it was never meant to touch. Microsoft pushes observability and centralized management so security teams can see every agent tied into work, including tools that appear outside approved channels.

The sprawl is already happening. Microsoft cites survey work finding 29% of employees have used unapproved AI agents for work tasks, the kind of quiet expansion that makes tampering harder to spot early.

It’s not just bad prompts

This isn’t limited to someone typing the wrong request. Microsoft highlights memory poisoning as a persistent attack, one that can plant changes that influence later responses and erode trust over time.

Its AI Red Team also saw agents get tricked by deceptive interface elements, including harmful instructions hidden in everyday content, plus task framing that subtly redirects reasoning. It can look normal. That’s the point.

What to do next

Microsoft’s advice is to treat AI agents like a new class of digital identity, not a simple add-on. The report recommends a Zero Trust posture for agents, verify identity, keep permissions tight, and monitor behavior continuously so unusual actions stand out.

Centralized management matters for the same reason. If security teams can inventory agents, understand what they can reach, and enforce consistent controls, the double agent problem gets smaller.

Before you deploy more agents, map what each one can access, apply least privilege, and set monitoring that can flag instruction tampering. If you can’t answer those basics yet, slow down and fix that first.

Despite the hype around Android 17 Beta 1’s arrival, Google has backtracked on the beta release, citing some last-minute changes. However, that doesn’t mean that the Android 17 update isn’t coming after all.

In fact, Google has clarified that the new beta version is “coming soon.” With the beta right around the corner, platform stability expected in March, and the stable version coming out in or around June 2026, you might want to know whether your Pixel phone supports Android 17.

Full list of supported Pixel devices

Below is the list of all Pixel phones that support the Android 17 Beta 1 update and, therefore, the stable version.

• Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a
• Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a
• Pixel Tablet
• Pixel Fold
• Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 8a
• Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 9a
• Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel 10a (upcoming)

At launch, the Android 17 Beta 1 should be available to test on 22 devices (including the upcoming Google Pixel 10a).

It’s worth mentioning that this will be the last operating system update for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, as the five-year support window ends in October 2026.

Other Android smartphone makers could get faster updates

What’s interesting is that Google is skipping the traditional Developer Preview phase this year and jumping straight into the public beta cycle.

Instead of relying on phased preview drops, the company has been testing the early Android 17 changes in the Canary channel, which should refine APIs and core features before they reach the public beta stage.

That should result in more polished beta releases for Pixel users and earlier access to stabilized code for partners and brands like Samsung, OnePlus, and Xiaomi.

In other words, Android-based smartphone manufacturers can start their own beta programs sooner, narrowing the gap between Android 17’s Pixel rollout and its wider availability across third-party devices.

Anthropic is testing a new Tasks feature inside Claude’s iOS app, and it looks like a move toward agentic work runs on iPhone, as spotted by TestingCatalog News. A newer build shows a Tasks entry in the app navigation plus a Tasks hub where you can create and manage repeatable jobs.

If it ships as shown, this would push Claude closer to Cowork-style automation on mobile. You set something up once, then rerun it when you need the same outcome again.

What’s still missing is the timeline. The surfaced UI does not include a public rollout date, and it doesn’t say which regions or accounts get it first.

While there are plenty of great robot vacuums on the market today, most share a common limitation that makes them less than ideal for homes with low-clearance furniture. Their relatively bulky design prevents them from reaching under sofas, cabinets, and beds, leaving dust and debris to accumulate out of sight. Dreame’s latest model aims to solve that problem with a slimmer profile built specifically to target those hard-to-reach spaces.

The new Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete is the company’s thinnest robot vacuum yet, measuring just 3.13 inches. First showcased at CES earlier this year, the vacuum’s ultra-thin profile allows it to easily navigate the spaces under furniture that other robot vacuums can’t reach. Its VersaLift navigation system automatically retracts the sensor in low-clearance areas and utilizes LED-illuminated cameras to thoroughly clean under low-clearance furniture.

Dreame has equipped the vacuum with its AI-enhanced OmniSight system, which uses two 120-degree cameras to offer faster navigation with 0.1-second obstacle response times. It also features Proactive Illumination Dirt Detection to spot pet hair, light-colored liquids, and fine particles using infrared-enhanced sensors.

Big performance in a slim frame

Despite its slim profile, the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete isn’t a slouch in terms of performance, offering 35,000Pa Vormax suction, an upgraded ProLeap system that allows it to clear obstacles up to 3.47 inches high, and detangling brushes to prevent hair from getting stuck.

It even has a 212-degree Fahrenheit ThermoHub self-cleaning mop designed to automatically sanitize after cleaning. Additionally, Dreame says the vacuum is purpose built for pet owners and features dual compartments that store cleaning solutions for floor cleaning and pet odor elimination separately.

With all of these advanced features and a slick design, the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete doesn’t come cheap. It’s priced at $1,699.99 and is available in black and white colorways through Dreame’s web store and Amazon. However, you can currently save $340 if you purchase the vacuum directly from Dreame’s website using the available coupon code at checkout.

Just yesterday, we were talking about how Google is going straight to Android 17 Beta 1 without going down the Developer Preview route like it usually does, and how the first beta could have dropped yesterday. However, the Alphabet-owned giant seems to have cancelled those plans.

Although the Android 17 Beta 1 was scheduled to arrive at 10 AM PT, the company decided to pull the plug on the beta release. In a statement sent to Android Police, Google says that “last-minute changes” have led to the delay.

Android 17 Beta 1 is now “coming soon”

“Android Beta 1 will actually be coming soon, not today,” says Google.

Although the nature of the last-minute changes isn’t immediately clear, they could have been significant enough to prompt the company to postpone the launch after all the hype.

A February 11 launch was still slightly later than expected, as the company unveiled the first Android 16 beta on January 23 last year.

However, despite the delay, Google still has about a month and a half to release Android 17 Beta 1 (and align it with the promised Q1 2026 release timeline).

Stability target still set for March

As per the official schedule, Google aims to achieve platform stability (for the Android 17 pre-release build) sometime around March 2026, and the final build could go live in the second quarter of the year, in or around June 2026.

In the past, we’ve seen Samsung’s new foldables debut with the latest Android operating system, and I see no reason why that won’t happen this year.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Flip 8 are expected to break cover in July 2026, and there’s a very good chance Samsung will announce One UI 9.0, based on Android 17, at the launch event.

For now, we’re expecting Android 17 to be released in the coming weeks, but no later than that.