What’s the best gaming laptop you can get for under $600? Normally, you’d be looking at tight specs and cut corners that result in a weak machine that’s barely capable of anything. Today, you can get an Acer Nitro V for just $579 thanks to a massive $350 discount at Walmart. You’ll agree this is a superb deal once you see its specs. Powered by an Intel Core i5-13420H processor, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, this laptop may not blow you away with top-tier hardware and cutting-edge performance, but that’s plenty impressive in this budget-plus price range. And it’s all capped off with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050 graphics card, which might be an entry-level GPU but it’s still a dedicated card and it supports features like ray tracing, upscaling, and multi-frame generation. It’s more than enough for modest gaming. Everything else is pretty standard, which is more than you can ask for in a sub-$600 laptop with such internals. I’m talking about a gorgeous 15.6-inch IPS screen at 1080p for crisp images and a 165Hz refresh rate for fluid visuals, plus Thunderbolt 4 and triple USB-A ports for connectivity. Battery life is passable at a stated 12 hours (so expect about half that), and the plastic chassis is no surprise. Weighing 4.63 pounds and measuring 0.79 inches thick, it’s reasonably portable. The Acer Nitro V is “old faithful” when it comes to budget-friendly gaming laptops, and it’s an absolute score with this discount. Get it now for $579 before this Walmart deal is fully snatched up! If you sadly miss out on this deal, check out our picks for the best gaming laptops under $1,000. Acer Nitro V with RTX 5050 for just $579? What a bargain!Buy now at Walmart Read...

Google is launching music generation in its Gemini app via the new Lyria 3 model developed by Google Deepmind. The feature is in beta and allows you to create 30-second pieces of music based on text prompts and/or uploaded images and videos, says the announcement post. For example, you can describe a genre, mood, or even a memory, and Gemini will generate a song and lyrics according to your description. It’s also possible to control the style, tempo, and type of vocals used in the generation, giving you more creative control. All songs are marked with SynthID, Google’s invisible watermark for AI-generated content. Gemini can also check whether audio files have been created with Google’s AI. Google emphasizes that the model is intended for original creation and not for imitating specific artists. Lyria 3 is available globally in English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese. Users must be over 18 years of age. Paying Gemini subscribers get higher usage limits. Read...

Ring’s been in damage-control mode ever since its now-infamous “lost dog” Super Bowl ad, furiously spinning the sinister imagery of digital “bounding boxes” locking in on a wayward pooch and a simulated aerial view of dozens of homes scanning the neighborhood.  Rather than giving off warm fuzzies—your Ring camera can help find lost dogs!—the Super Bowl ad gave off serious “big brother” vibes to many viewers. Fresh memories of the ICE raids in Minneapolis along with Ring’s planned partnership with Flock, a network of security cameras with ties to ICE, didn’t help, nor did the Nancy Guthrie case, where law enforcement officials teased videos from the missing woman’s Nest camera even though the cam didn’t have an active subscription.  Adding fuel to the fire is word of a leaked email from Ring founder Jamie Siminoff in which he implies that Search Party’s functionality may eventually extend beyond just dogs, although it’s not clear whether he meant people or something else. “I believe that the foundation we created with Search Party, first for finding dogs, will end up becoming one of the most important pieces of tech and innovation to truly unlock the impact of our mission,” Siminoff reportedly wrote in the email, adding that “you can now see a future where we are able to zero out crime in neighborhoods.” Ring has previously said that Search Party may soon work with cats and other pets.  All those circumstances created a “perfect storm,” Ring’s founder says, leaving the company on the defensive about its most powerful AI-enabled features.  But while Ring has backtracked on its nascent Flock deal (Ring says the partnership was never actually implemented, and denied that any Ring videos were ever shared with ICE), it’s doubling down on Search Party, with The New York Times reporting that the brand “would move forward” with the feature. Speaking with the Times, Ring founder Jamie Siminoff admitted that the Super Bowl image of the dog-scanning houses “triggered” many viewers. But he also argued that the ubiquity of Ring cameras is “not just like mass surveillance,” noting that “you get to choose what you want to do with your individual home.”  A Ring “Search Party” can be triggered by anyone with a lost dog who registered the missing pet using the Ring app. (The feature only works with dogs for now.) Once a Search Party is initiated, nearby Ring cameras that are participating in the feature will start keeping an eye out for the lost dog, using AI to help make a match.  If a Ring camera does catch sight of a missing pooch, it will notify the camera’s owner, who then has the option to share—or not to share—the images with the dog’s owner.  While Ring users don’t have to share Search Party videos if they don’t want to, Search Party functionality is enabled by default on their outdoor (not indoor) Ring cameras, a fact that I’ve previously written about. Read...

Fleet operators cautiously trial AI to tame rising costs as ageing vehicles and maintenance bottlenecks drive up downtime and service spend. Read...

Selector raises USD $32m at a USD $375m valuation to expand its AI-driven observability platform and accelerate global enterprise growth. Read...

What’s up chat. Y’all know that Xbox is taking a big L lately, but it’s finna flex on these mid players with new drip: an auto “Clip That” feature. No cap. If you have no idea what I just said (and God knows I don’t), it means the Xbox platform is getting an automatic way to save and share gameplay video clips. It’s called “Highlight Reels,” according to a report, and it’s coming to the Xbox Ally first. The feature is currently in testing on advance builds of the Asus ROG Xbox Ally software, according to Windows Central. The system reportedly requires no additional software downloads and happens seamlessly during gameplay, presumably leaning on the NPU tucked into the handheld’s Ryzen APU hardware from AMD. It isn’t known how it “detects” which parts of games a user might want to save, something that typically needs a bit of user input like the DVR feature on Xbox consoles and the Windows Game Bar—hence the “Clip that” slang I alluded to. According to the report, it’s being tested in plenty of popular and current PC games, including Fortnite, Overwatch, Forza Horizon 5, Palworld, and Dota 2. But with integration at the system level, it should work with just about any game, similar to tools like the overlay available in the Nvidia app for Windows. It may need specific tuning to detect relevant moments in games, like, say, when someone pops an ultimate in Overwatch, finishes a Battle Royale in Fortnite, or overtakes the race leader in Forza. Windows Central expects this feature to come to the Ally before too long, though it may be limited to the newer Xbox models, possibly followed by other Windows devices with NPUs. And presumably it would also be featured heavily in a next-gen version of the Xbox console, currently being developed and rumored to be a lot closer to a semi-standardized, Windows-based gaming PC. I wouldn’t go that far—we’re a long way out from a new generation, and it only looks like it’s getting even more protracted thanks to the RAM crunch. But I can see why such a feature might be an appealing part of a new launch. Read...

Google has launched Scenario Planner for its open-source Meridian MMM, giving marketers a no-code way to test budget scenarios and ROI. Read...

It’s time to make your house just a tiny bit smarter and safer! Give yourself peace of mind whenever you leave for work, fun, or vacation—by being able to check in on a live home video feed from anywhere right on your phone. Home security cams are priceless these days. And right now, you can get one that’s super-easy to use at an incredibly reasonable price for all the features it has, including solar-powered battery. I’m talking about the Tapo MagCam 4K outdoor security cam, which is now just $100 on Amazon (was $150) with this crazy 33% discount. That’s an all-time low price! There are so many things to love about this camera, starting with the fact that it’s entirely wireless: it effortlessly connects to your home Wi-Fi network and it runs on built-in battery power with a solar panel for day-to-day charging. That battery can work for up to 200 days on a single charge, so you won’t have to worry about rainy weeks. The solar panel can be mounted up to 13 feet away for optimal positioning. Speaking of mounting, this thing is super easy to install thanks to its magnetic base. You can mount it on any metallic surface without drilling any holes or screwing any screws. Change your mind and want to move it? Just pop it off and pop it on to another surface. The camera itself is also ultra-high-def with 4K resolution, recording sharp images and fine details. The highly sensitive starlight sensor means it can capture in full-color night vision, and the integrated spotlights help provide extra light when needed. Other nice features include an IP66 weatherproof rating, advanced AI detection of people/vehicles/pets, and local storage on microSD cards up to 512GB. No paid subscription needed for this camera, unless you want optional cloud storage. That alone makes this worth every penny! Grab the Tapo MagCam 4K for $100 before this Amazon deal is gone. This solar-powered 4K outdoor security cam hits a new low priceBuy now at Amazon Read...

Google is updating how links are displayed in Search’s AI results, making them clearer and more prominent, reports The Verge. According to a social media post by Robby Stein, Vice President of Google Search, internal testing shows that the new AI results interface makes it easier for users to find content on the web. New on Search: In AI Overviews and AI Mode, groups of links will automatically appear in a pop-up as you hover over them on desktop, so you can jump right into a website to learn more. And we’ll show more descriptive and prominent link icons within the response across both… pic.twitter.com/VUTtHUCwgG— Robby Stein (@rmstein) February 17, 2026 The change comes in the wake of heavy criticism levied against Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode, which allegedly have had a negative impact on traffic to news sites, blogs, and other web publishers. Also, the European Commission has reviewed the company’s AI search features, including how content from publishers is used in AI responses and whether that content is scraped without reasonable compensation. With the coming changes, a list of sources will now appear in a pop-up window when users hover their mouse pointer over a cited source in AI Overviews or AI Mode, at least on desktop PCs. A short description of the article and an accompanying image will be displayed. At the same time, Google is introducing more visible and descriptive link icons in its AI responses, both on PCs and mobile devices. Read...

Carrying USB-C cables all over the place can cause them damage, especially if you’re frequently shoving them into pockets and bags, and especially if they’re getting packed with heavy tech. If you’re tired of tangled cords and broken cables, what you need is this super-fast Ugreen Nexode retractable USB-C cable! It’s the ultimate solution and it’s on sale for $12 right now (25% off). This ultra-practical charging cable supports 100 watts of power delivery, so it’s not only great for smartphones and tablets but also for laptops—including MacBook Pros, for which it can charge from 0% to over 40% in about half an hour. Though it’s mainly a charging cable, you can also use it for data transfers at speeds up to 480 Mbps. But the best part of this cable is, of course, the retractable design. You can pull and adjust it to the length you need for any particular use, and then coil it right back up when you’re done for maximum protection and compact convenience. It supports 4 different lengths from 14 inches up to 39 inches, and the shell is only 2.4 inches wide. Frankly, this is the kind of accessory everyone will love to use. Get one for yourself or get one as a gift. It’s that versatile! And now’s a great time to grab one because it’s on sale for just $12 on Amazon. A retractable USB-C cable is even better than it sounds. Really.Buy now at Amazon Read...