5 Menu Bar apps that have earned a permanent spot on my Mac in 2026
My Mac's menu bar is prime real estate, and not every app gets to live there. These five apps made the cut in 2026 and have genuinely improved how I work every day.
How to change the default apps on a Mac
From changing your browser and email client to opening specific file types with a new app, changing default apps on your Mac is easy and straightforward.
You can now choose how hard Claude thinks before answering your queries
Claude Opus 4.8 introduces effort control on claude.ai, letting users choose how deeply Claude thinks before responding.
Copilot gets a redesign and it now wants to do more without being an eyesore
Microsoft is reshaping Copilot to feel like a workspace that adapts to you. The redesign focuses on cleaner design, smarter context, and fewer interruptions while you work.
Just like humans, this robot can hear music and play it after just two minutes of self-practice
USC researchers built the Musician Hand, a four-fingered robotic system that hears a melody once and reproduces it after just two minutes of self-taught motor babbling.
As AI spills everywhere with quick answers, research finds that the internet’s soul is dying
A new collaborative study by UC Riverside researchers finds that as more people turn to AI for answers, the internet is losing the emotional depth and human reasoning that made it worth browsing in the first place.
Chrome browser is getting a security boost that you won’t see, but it’s good to have
Google has rolled out Device Bound Session Credentials (DBSC) as a default security feature in Chrome on Windows for all Workspace users.
Canva adds new editing tools, payments, and previews to save you from embarrassing crops
Canva has introduced new AI-powered editing tools, publishing integrations, and workflow upgrades aimed at creators, marketers, and businesses.
Your hard drive is giving away your browsing habits and websites can see it
Researchers have discovered a new attack called FROST that lets malicious websites spy on your browsing activity and open apps by tracking your SSD activity through your browser.
iOS 27 leak shows off Siri’s minimalist redesign and new tricks within a dedicated app
A Bloomberg leak previews iOS 27's Siri overhaul, which includes a standalone Siri app, new Search or Ask interface, Gemini-powered AI model, and Camera app integration.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon C chip eyes dirt-cheap laptops as MacBook Neo redraws budget lines
Qualcomm's new Snapdragon C chip is built for budget laptops starting at $300, promising all-day battery life and solid everyday performance for students, families, and small businesses.
YouTube’s Home feed is becoming whatever you ask it to be
YouTube is adding a prompt-based Home feed chip that lets signed-in U.S. viewers build custom video streams around specific moods, interests, or topics, with watch and search history required.
Layr is a new macOS clipboard manager that replaces hotkeys with trackpad gestures
Layr is a new macOS clipboard manager that uses a four-finger trackpad tap to open clipboard history near the cursor.
Father’s Day Gift Guide
This Father’s Day, skip the predictable gifts and upgrade dad's everyday setup with tech he’ll actually use.
YouTube’s AI content labels are getting a much-needed makeover
YouTube is moving AI disclosure labels to a more visible spot and rolling out auto-detection for AI-generated content starting May 2026. Here's what changes for creators and viewers.
AI models have a religion favoritism problem, and new research exposes it
Researchers tested 14 major AI models on religious bias and found a consistent pattern: models subtly favor some faiths over others, with Grok showing the strongest bias and Anthropic and Meta performing the best.
iOS 26.6 alerts you upon running out of blocked contacts limit, and that’s a problem
iOS 26.6 introduces a "Blocked Contacts Limit Reached" alert for iPhones, surfacing a previously undocumented cap that some users have hit at 8,000 blocked numbers.
Logitech’s new office mouse and keyboard has a tiny comfort upgrade your wrist will love
Logitech’s new Signature Comfort Plus lineup adds a cushioned mouse, quieter clicks, and a keyboard made for long desk days.
The Barnes & Noble CEO thinks AI books are fine. He’s wrong.
Barnes & Noble CEO says he has no problem selling AI-written books. It sounds reasonable on the surface. It isn't, and here's why it's bad news for every author alive.
AMD is reportedly prepping Zen 7 processors on 14A node to match Intel at its game
AMD’s future Zen 7 processors could use TSMC’s A14 node, setting up a fresh CPU rivalry with Intel’s own 14A plans.
Ever wonder what vintage computers were like? This virtual museum lets you try hundreds
The Virtual OS Museum is a huge retro-computing archive with more than 1,700 ready-to-run installations, covering everything from 1948’s Manchester Baby to classic Mac OS, early Windows, Unix, PalmOS, and more.
Intel leak predicts upcoming Nova Lake Edge processors with an odd core layout
A new leak claims Intel's Nova Lake Edge processor will feature eight E-cores and 12 Xe integrated graphics cores with no P-cores.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra’s cool privacy display could appear on the next MacBook Pro
Apple could adopt Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra's Privacy Display in the M6 Pro and M6 Max MacBook Pro, much sooner than the originally predicted 2029 timeline.
AI bots are a hit across the hotel biz, and if they feel creepy, you’re not alone: Study
Researchers have found that AI-powered hotel booking chatbots are unsettling enough to make users abandon their bookings.
Pope says AI must be disarmed and shouldn’t dominate humanity. We’re going the opposite way.
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical on May 25, addressing AI, human dignity, war, and the dangers of letting technology fall into the hands of a few.
I built an offline Grammarly alternative and turned it into a Mac app without any coding
I used Claude to build myself a fully offline, and locally processed alternative to Grammarly. The first build took me less than 30 seconds and I didn't even have to see or write a line of code.
China will put a unique ID code on humanoid robots, just like citizen ID for us humans
China has launched a national digital ID system for humanoid robots, assigning each bipedal machine a unique code that tracks it from production to recycling.
Huawei reveals its own replacement for Moore’s Law as it aims straight at 1.4nm chips
Huawei’s Tau Scaling Law shifts the chip race away from pure transistor shrinking and toward faster signal movement, with the company boldly aiming for 1.4nm-equivalent density by 2031.
Microsoft will let you uninstall Copilot app as Windows 11 clean-up moves ahead
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update introduces new ways to permanently remove Copilot using Group Policy, Registry changes, and traditional uninstall methods.
Copilot is getting a sidebar treatment for Windows 11, just like Gemini in Chrome
Microsoft is testing a new docked sidebar mode for Copilot in Windows 11 that pins the AI to the left or right edge of your screen.
HP’s new ZBook workstations are bringing AI chips, Blackwell GPUs, and eye-watering prices
HP has launched new ZBook workstation laptops featuring Ryzen AI processors, premium displays, and high-end configurations aimed at creators and professional users.
Nvidia’s N1X processor for laptops could be right around the corner
Lenovo has accidentally confirmed it is working on laptops powered by Nvidia's unannounced N1X chip. Here is everything you need to know about the chip that could shake up Windows gaming laptops.
In a market where Mac has been aspirational, it’s somehow a better deal than windows machines now
MacBooks have long been treated as the expensive, aspirational laptop choice, but rising Windows laptop prices and Apple’s cheaper MacBook strategy are flipping this script.
HP’s new RTX 5070 laptop feels like the sweet spot between thin and bulky
HP has launched the new HyperX Omen 15 gaming laptop in the US, offering AMD and Intel variants paired with RTX 5070 graphics and a compact 15-inch design.
Corsair is putting Chinese RAM in mainstream market. It won’t quite end the crisis though
Chinese memory makers are pushing cheaper RAM and storage chips into the market, and major PC brands are starting to notice. The shift could eventually change hardware pricing in a big way — but not without complications first.
Orbot Robotics’ space robot has four arms, but its Goro physique has a purpose
In microgravity, legs do not do much. Orbit Robotics’ Helios replaces them with four arms built for movement and station work.
This “normal” USB cable secretly wants to be a hacking tool
A new Kickstarter project called Hacknect hides a Wi-Fi-enabled hacking and automation platform inside what appears to be an ordinary USB cable.
Apple Preview is the most underrated Mac app. Here are 7 things you didn’t know you could do with it.
Apple Preview has quietly grown into one of the most powerful apps on your Mac. From editing PDFs to removing image backgrounds, here are 7 things it can do that might surprise you.