TechSpot | Tech Enthusiasts, Power Users, Gamers

Headline
Full

Electronics Science

These paper batteries made from plants want to replace AA and AAA cells

Moving from tech demo to real production

Forward-looking: What started as a curiosity at CES 2025 has quietly matured into one of the show's most convincing sustainability narratives a year later. Flint, the Singapore-based startup developing a fully cellulose-based paper battery, is now in production and gearing up to supply its renewable power cells to major electronics partners, including Logitech, Amazon, and Apple accessory maker Nimble.

Full story By Skye Jacobs, January 9, 2026, 6:43 PM 10 comments

Science Space

Astronomers watch a star being torn to pieces by a supermassive black hole

The cosmic release was equivalent to 400 billion times the energy of the Sun

By Alfonso Maruccia, January 9, 2026, 2:46 PM

Hardware Industry

Samsung and SK Hynix are jacking up DRAM prices by as much as 70 percent

Hyperscalers and Big Tech are buying every memory chip they can

By Alfonso Maruccia, January 9, 2026, 1:52 PM 7 comments

Tech Deals Software

Microsoft Office is down to $35 for a lifetime license

TL;DR: If you're looking for a powerful productivity suite without paying any subscriptions, Office 2021 is now available for just $35. All the essential tools you need for work or personal projects at over 80% off the regular price.

Full story By TechSpot Deals

Hardware Gaming

Intel and AMD clash over who will power the next wave of handheld gaming PCs

Intel calls AMD's handheld gaming chips "ancient silicon"

By Daniel Sims, January 9, 2026, 1:10 PM

Tech Culture AI

Dell admits customers are not buying PCs just because they "have AI"

Crystal ball: Nearly every major tech company is now trying to oversell this inflated "AI-powered" narrative, and the PC market is no exception. Dell, who happens to be shipping a lot of PCs to every corner of the world, is apparently taking a more skeptical stance moving forward, arguing that the push is misguided because customers are not lining up to buy new "AI PCs" at all.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, January 9, 2026, 12:29 PM 7 comments

Download of the Week Software

Ocenaudio is an easy cross-platform editor for everyday audio tasks

Ocenaudio is a fast and lightweight audio editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux, designed for quick edits without a learning curve. It offers real-time effects preview and reliable support for all common audio formats. Recent updates have brought improved visual tools and smoother performance.

By Ivan Franco, January 9, 2026, 11:42 AM

AI Industry

Elon Musk's AI startup is losing billions – and building something huge

xAI's sprawling data center empire is the backbone of an audacious plan for intelligent machines

By Skye Jacobs, January 9, 2026, 10:30 AM

Tech Deals Microsoft

For a limited time, grab a Windows 11 Pro license for $10

Unbeatable deal

By TechSpot Deals

The Web AI

Grok image generation is now paywalled on X amid AI "undressing" controversy (update: not paywalled)

No changes to the standalone app, though

By Rob Thubron, January 9, 2026, 9:38 AM 8 comments

The Web Electronics

FCC proposal could bring outdoor, higher-power Wi-Fi to 6 GHz band

Upcoming vote could unlock faster wireless for immersive tech, robotics, and short-range hotspots

By Skye Jacobs, January 9, 2026, 8:56 AM

Hardware

Nvidia could delay the RTX 5000 Super series indefinitely as AMD offers no 2026 competition

The ongoing memory crisis is a major factor in the delay, too

By Rob Thubron, January 9, 2026, 8:22 AM 11 comments

AI Tech Culture

That time when an AI police report hallucinated an officer turning into a frog

AI transcription software overheard a Disney movie

By Daniel Sims, January 9, 2026, 7:47 AM

The Web Google

YouTube's updated filters are good news for anyone sick of Shorts

New filters may reduce exposure to AI-generated slop

By Rob Thubron, January 9, 2026, 7:03 AM 9 comments

Electronics Hardware

Jensen Huang is calling it: Human-like robots arrive in 2026

Nvidia's CEO says humanoid robots are nearly ready for prime time, even as technical hurdles remain

By Skye Jacobs, January 9, 2026, 6:15 AM

Tech Culture The Web

This website plays the lottery every second to show why you'll (almost certainly) never win big

292.2 million to one? I like those odds!

By Rob Thubron, January 9, 2026, 5:15 AM

Software Security

Logitech's Mac apps broke because their own security certificate expired

LogiBrick: Encryption certificates are an essential component in today's digital infrastructure, safeguarding sensitive data exchanges and software interactions. When one of these certificates fails or expires unexpectedly, widespread disruptions can follow – and users are bound to notice pretty quickly.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, January 8, 2026, 5:07 PM

Download of the Week Hardware

HWiNFO delivers deep hardware insights and sensor monitoring

HWiNFO is designed to report detailed hardware information alongside real-time monitoring of system sensors. It reports granular data for CPUs, GPUs, memory, storage, and motherboards, including temperatures, clock speeds, voltages, power draw, and throttling behavior.

By Ivan Franco, January 8, 2026, 4:50 PM

Hardware Electronics

MSI's GPU Safeguard actively monitors power cables for potential problems

Added peace of mind when gaming with high-powered GPUs

By Kishalaya Kundu, January 8, 2026, 2:14 PM

Electronics Tech Culture

Bose is ending SoundTouch's cloud features, but not entirely killing the speakers

Bluetooth, AirPlay, and Spotify Connect will keep working without the cloud

By Alfonso Maruccia, January 8, 2026, 1:26 PM

Hardware Electronics

Dell's new 52-inch 6K display is a Thunderbolt-powered behemoth

A viable alternative to multi-monitor setups

By Shawn Knight, January 8, 2026, 12:42 PM

Software Microsoft

Windows users keep losing files to OneDrive, and many don't know why

Files can be permanently deleted if you aren't careful

By Skye Jacobs, January 8, 2026, 12:03 PM 35 comments

Google AI

Google is putting even more AI into Gmail, and some of it is on by default

The takeaway: Here's a piece of news that not everyone will welcome: Google thinks there simply isn't enough generative AI in Gmail, so it's adding even more Gemini features. Some are free, others are subscription-only, and a few will be enabled by default – meaning you'll have to opt out if you don't want them.

Full story By Rob Thubron, January 8, 2026, 10:45 AM

Electronics

Roborock's Rover takes robot vacuums where none have gone before: up the stairs

The Saros Rover unveiled at CES 2026 brings articulated legs, slope control, and early glimpses of multi-floor autonomy

By Skye Jacobs, January 8, 2026, 9:58 AM

Industry AI

Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI heads to jury trial after judge rejects dismissal

Musk alleges OpenAI broke its founding promises

By Rob Thubron, January 8, 2026, 9:26 AM 9 comments

Hardware Electronics

Asus' latest OLED gaming monitor combines RGB stripe tech and Tandem OLED

New monitors debut at CES with sharper text, richer color, and cutting-edge OLED tech

By Skye Jacobs, January 8, 2026, 8:54 AM

Google Apple

Google's parent Alphabet surpasses Apple in market cap for the first time since 2019

Google's AI momentum leaves Apple trailing

By Rob Thubron, January 8, 2026, 8:22 AM

Hardware Gaming

Nvidia RTX 60 GPUs might not arrive until 2027, Jensen says neural rendering is the future

Server-first strategy could leave gamers waiting years

Winners & losers: The absence of new GeForce RTX graphics cards at CES is an unusual break from tradition, fueling speculation that memory shortages driven by AI demand are disrupting Nvidia's usual launch cadence (well, that and an obvious shift in priorities). As the company rolls out its next architecture, a prominent leaker says consumers could be facing one of the longest generation gaps in the history of GeForce.

Full story By Daniel Sims, January 8, 2026, 7:47 AM 24 comments

The Web AI

Grok is generating thousands of AI "undressing" deepfakes every hour on X

"X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter"

By Rob Thubron, January 8, 2026, 7:02 AM 27 comments

Electronics AI

Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics are bringing Gemini-powered robots to the factory floor

Atlas and Spot will test Gemini AI in Hyundai's auto plants to see if they can handle real factory work

By Skye Jacobs, January 8, 2026, 6:19 AM

How Much RAM Do Gamers Need? 8GB vs. 16GB vs. 32GB vs. 64GB

FEATURE By Steven Walton, January 8, 2026, 5:06 AM TechSpot Hardware

As modern games push memory harder, choosing the right amount of RAM matters more than ever. With DRAM pricing in flux, we revisit the big question: is 16GB still enough for gaming?