Category: 4. Technology

You can now send your reMarkable notes and doodles straight to Slack. The companies have announced Slack integration for reMarkable tablets, letting you send whatever you want from the e-paper device straight to your workplace chat in one tap. “…we realized that when there’s friction between thinking and producing, you risk losing time, ideas, and momentum,” reMarkable Chief Technology Officer Nico Cormie said in a statement. By linking the tablet with Slack, there’s less friction between coming up with ideas and sharing them with your team, so you can more easily collaborate with others.

reMarkable is an e-paper tablet designed to work with a stylus. Simply put, it’s a digital notebook, where you can sketch, write notes, draw, annotate documents and even read ebooks if you want to treat it more as an eReader like the Kindle. If you want to share your notes with Slack, you simply have to go to the menu on the left-hand corner of your device and choose “Send to Slack.” When you do, it opens into a canvas in Slack containing an image of your file with AI-generated notes. If there’s handwritten text in the image, the canvas will also include your notes that AI has converted to editable text.

To be able to use the Slack integration, you’ll need to be subscribed to reMarkable Connect, which gives you access to unlimited cloud storage and sync for $3 a month. You’ll also need to have a Slack account with a Pro, Business+ or an Enterprise Grid plan.

Modhaus’s Cosmo app launches on the Abstract blockchain to deliver immersive, blockchain fan experiences—enabling artists like tripleS, ARTMS and idntt to connect directly with their global fanbases.

MIAMI, July 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Abstract, a consumer-first blockchain built to accelerate the mass adoption of crypto and lead the next wave of the culture economy, today announced a strategic partnership with Modhaus, the South Korean entertainment company behind breakout K-pop groups tripleS, ARTMS and idntt. As part of the collaboration, Modhaus’s fan engagement platform Cosmo will launch on the Abstract blockchain—marking a major step in bridging global entertainment with next-generation blockchain technology.

Built for mainstream audiences, Abstract delivers seamless, email and passkey-based onboarding and invisible blockchain experiences, making it an ideal home for Modhaus’s Web2-friendly fan engagement app. Cosmo lets millions of fans collect digital photocards, vote on group decisions, and complete interactive quests—all powered by digital collectibles and voting tokens behind the scenes. With its launch on Abstract, Cosmo gains faster performance, scalable infrastructure, and deeper integration with a growing ecosystem of culturally relevant crypto-native apps and global brands.

The partnership comes amid explosive growth in the global K-pop fandom market, a multi-billion-dollar industry fueled by one of the most engaged digitally native communities in the world. tripleS has amassed 3.4 million followers and won Best New Female Artist at the 2023 MAMA Awards, one of the largest and most influential music award ceremonies in the K-pop industry. Meanwhile, ARTMS recently reached #1 on Billboard’s Top New Artist Albums and earned over 90 million streams on Spotify.

“Streetwear, gaming, hip-hop, and now K-pop—each flipped the script and empowered a new generation to move and shape culture,” said Michael Lee, co-founder and CEO of Abstract. “Cosmo is exactly what Abstract was built for—a space where fans don’t just watch, they vote, collect, and move in sync with their favorite artists. Together, Cosmo and Abstract aren’t just tech—they’re the prototype for a new cultural operating system. One that brings back what the internet lost: fun, ownership, and unapologetic creativity.“

By moving to Abstract, Modhaus unlocks faster performance, seamless onboarding with just an email, Touch ID or Face ID, and deeper integration into a growing ecosystem of culturally relevant, consumer-first applications. Fans will gain all the benefits of blockchain without ever needing to understand it – leveraging Abstract’s technology to make Web3 invisible, accessible, and powerful for the everyday user.

Together, Abstract and Modhaus are redefining how fans engage with their favorite artists—bringing the power of blockchain to global audiences without the friction of crypto complexity.

“At Modhaus, we’ve always believed fans deserve a real seat at the table—not just as viewers, but as participants in the creative process,” said Jaden Jeong, CEO of Modhaus. “Partnering with Abstract allows us to elevate that vision on a global scale, without forcing fans to navigate the complexities of blockchain technology. Together, we’re creating a new standard for artist-fan interaction—one that’s immersive, democratic, and built for the next era of K-pop.“

With close to 2 million Abstract Global Wallets deployed, Abstract is fast becoming the blockchain of choice for culture-defining projects that demand speed, scale, and simplicity. Its user base is largely composed of Gen A and Z consumers with discretionary spending power in high-GDP markets—making it a uniquely valuable platform for brands looking to activate digitally native, culturally fluent audiences. The Modhaus integration expands Abstract’s growing roster of high-impact Web3 applications that are reimagining how consumer industries—like music, entertainment, and gaming—use blockchain to unlock new models of growth, participation, and creative ownership.

About Abstract
Abstract is a consumer-first blockchain built to accelerate the mass adoption of crypto and lead the next wave of the culture economy. Its mission is to build the world’s largest onchain community—powered by zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography for fast, low-cost, and secure transactions. At the heart of Abstract is a revolutionary consumer terminal that makes Web3 feel as simple as Web2, offering a seamless gateway to hundreds of intuitive, culturally driven onchain apps. Abstract was created by builders behind Pudgy Penguins, Ethereum, and Kubernetes, combining deep technical expertise with cultural fluency. Learn more at abs.xyz

About Modhaus
Modhaus is an unprecedented open architecture K-Pop agency that aims to lead the global music industry. The company brings fans closer to artists by putting them at the center of the experience. Modhaus seeks to include fans across major stages of production using NFT-powered governance mechanisms.

Media Contact
Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis (on behalf of Abstract)
[email protected]

SOURCE Abstract

The recent hype around low-key AI companions like the Rabbit R1, screen time apps like One Sec, and pop culture warning signs like Netflix’s Adolescence prove that we, as a society, fully recognize the dangers of excessive smartphone use. But are we really ready to leave our pocket computers at the door?

The answer, for most of us, is still ‘no’, yet this tension between person and product is something that big-name smartphone brands are beginning to recognize and respond to.

Updated July 5 with more details and commentary on the expected battery size increase for the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

A new leak suggests that this fall’s Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (expected in September, read this for exactly when) will have a bigger-capacity battery than any iPhone has ever seen. More details have now emerged as to what this will mean.

A new post has appeared from a Weibo user called Instant Digital, whose track record isn’t perfect but has leaked some accurate information in the past, so is worth listening to.

ForbesApple iPhone 16 Pro And iPhone 16 Pro Max Prices Slashed Further In Major Sale On NowBy David Phelan

According to the leak, the iPhone 17 Pro Max battery could be as big as around 5,000mAh, which is bigger than the current biggest iPhone battery, in the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which measures 4,676mAh.

It’s long been rumored that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be thicker than before, and it’s been hoped that some of this extra space would be used to increase the battery size, and this new post corroborates that.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is 8.25mm thick, and it’s thought its successor will be 8.725mm thick. That’s less than half a millimeter more, so let’s hope it stays comfortable in the hand, but even such a slender increase could have a noticeable effect on the iPhone’s battery life.

Of course, each new iPhone has new features, all of which could affect battery life. On the other hand, the expected new processor for the Pro Max could combine with greater efficiencies in software which could expand battery life.

But the surest way to make a device last longer is a bigger battery, and it seems that could be on the way.

Even though users love new features, battery life stubbornly remains as about the top request. After all, even if your phone can do extraordinary new things, it’s not much use if it’s collapsed by lunchtime each day.

According to 9to5Mac, “Depending on how close to 5,000 the final number ends up being, we could be looking at almost a 10% increase in capacity. It’s important to note, however, that a battery’s capacity doesn’t have a 1:1 correlation with battery life improvements,” it says.

Meanwhile, MacRumors suggests what it might mean. “The battery life of the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 33 hours, according to Apple. This is up from 29 hours on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, and 28 hours on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 Pro Max had a battery life of just 20 hours. With an extra 300mAh of battery capacity, the iPhone 17 Pro Max could be on course to offer around 35 hours of battery life, or perhaps even more,” it reports.

William Gallagher at Apple Insider has a different take on the battery change. The brand estimates that the new battery will have about 324mAh more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

“However, even if the new figure and the earlier physical size rumors are correct, it does not follow that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have longer battery life. That’s because it depends on the rest of the iPhone 17 Pro Max design. The new model is expected to add new technology that will not impact the battery — such as vapor chamber cooling — but there may be other new features that do,” the report says.

ForbesApple iPhone 17 Pro: New Leak Suggests Startling ChangeBy David Phelan

Though the Fourth of July official holiday was yesterday, we’re still finding tons of deals across just about every category. If you’ve been looking to upgrade your laptop or tablet, now is the perfect time. Major retailers like Walmart and Best Buy are having sales on tech, appliances and more to celebrate Independence Day weekend. Lenovo has also entered the mix with its own sale with deep discounts on laptops, tablets and more.

Whether you’re looking for a new tablet, a high-powered gaming monitor or a portable Chromebook, there are plenty of deals to fit your needs at the Lenovo sale. Be sure to snag these laptop and tablet deals while you can, as most of them will be expiring soon.

The 11-inch Lenovo Chromebook Duet is an excellent 2-in-1 device for students, professionals and everyday browsers. It functions as a tablet and a laptop, and you can snag it for $50 off right now, down to just $350.

If you’re looking for a more advanced laptop, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 5 is deeply discounted right now. The laptop runs on Intel Core Ultra processor for fast performance and AI-assisted productivity. It has a 14-inch display, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and advanced security features. You can currently snag this high-powered laptop for just $1,750. That’s a whopping $1,440 off. 

If you’re looking for a new tablet, consider the Lenovo Tab Plus. This 11.5-inch tablet features a vibrant 2K display. It also offers robust sound with eight built-in JBL speakers with Hi-Fi structure and Dolby Atmos sound. It earned a spot on our best tablets of 2025 list as the best affordable entertainment tablet, and right now it’s even more affordable at $130 off, knocking the price down to just $220. 

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

We’ve also found some deep discounts on monitors for those looking to upgrade their gaming setup. The 27-inch Lenovo Legion Y27h-30 monitor is on sale for $298, a $143 discount on its $440 list price. The monitor has a 180Hz refresh rate and 0.5ms response time. It comes loaded with AMD FreeSync Premium and VESA-certified adaptive sync technologies for smooth performance.

Looking for a laptop but aren’t sure if these Lenovo options are right for you? We’ve got a list of the the best laptop deals from several major retailers. Our CNET shopping experts are also tracking upcoming Prime Day deals so you can save on top tech.

Prime Day requires an Amazon Prime membership, though you don’t have to be a paying member to get in on the savings. Start your 30-day Prime free trial now and you’ll be able to shop the best deals without paying for a subscription — just remember to cancel before it renews.

Why this deal matters

Lenovo laptops, computer monitors and tablets often earn a spot (or multiple) on our best lists thanks to their impeccable quality and performance. The current offers present a great opportunity to score some high-quality tech for less with discounts of over $1,000 on select laptops.

There’s a reason Apple gear is so in demand. After reviewing nearly every major device out there, our current favorite laptop, smartwatch, tablet and smartphone are all made by Apple. The only problem is, Apple gear isn’t cheap. So it’s sometimes wise to wait for an event like Amazon’s Prime Day before you buy. This guide rounds up the best Prime Day Apple Deals we could find so far, including some of the lowest prices of the year on iPads, Apple Watches, AirPods and MacBooks. We’ve also linked to our reviews and buying guides so you can make the most informed purchases possible.

Best Prime Day Apple Watch deals

Apple Watch SE for $169 (32 percent off): Those on tight budgets can opt for the Apple Watch SE and know they’re getting the core Apple wearable experience with few compromises. We consider it to be the best smartwatch for newbies.

Best Prime Day iPad deals

Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): We named the iPad Pro the best tablet money can buy. The screen is one of the best we’ve seen and Apple somehow managed to make the Pro model lighter than Air models. If you plan on handling heavy productivity — video rendering and editing, machine learning apps and the like, this is the way to go.

Apple iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The larger iPad pro is the ultimate laptop replacer. The M4 chip is faster than many computers out there but the thin and light design makes it super portable. The battery life will last through a whole day of work and more (we clocked over 10 hours of use in our review) and the screen is brilliant. Our only real complaint is the price, and this Prime Day helps at least a little.

Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off): Apple’s smallest iPad earned an 83 review score from us when it came out late last year. Despite its compact size, it’s still a fully-featured iPad, with support for accessories and a laminated, anti-reflective screen. It’s not a laptop-replacer, but rather the perfect couch companion, handling games, video, web browsing and email triage.

Best Prime Day MacBook deals

MacBook Air (M4, 15-inch) for $1,049 ($150 off): If you want a little more screen real estate, go for the 15-inch Air. Devindra found the screen more immersive than the smaller model, and only slightly less portable. The slightly larger battery gave it a few more minutes of life. Whichever size you go for, the MacBook Air will be able to handle all but the most demanding rendering tasks without breaking a sweat.

MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 24GB RAM) for $1,249 ($450 off): This higher-specced version of the M3 MacBook Air from last year has a 15-inch screen and a little extra internal memory. We gave the 15-inch model a score of 90 in our review when it came out in early 2024. Outside of its older M3 chip (which is still plenty fast for everyday use), marginally improved camera and inability to power two external displays with the lid open, this MacBook is virtually identical to the M4 version.

Best Prime Day AirPod deals

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($69 off): Apple’s only over-ear headphones are due for an update. The company outfitted the AirPods Max with a USB-C port late last year, but the internals haven’t had an overhaul since 2020. Still, we named them the best (and only) over-earn AirPods. They are comfortable and relatively lightweight, have a balanced sound and the noise cancellation is solid.

Best Prime Day deals on Apple accessories

Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): Apple announced the Pro version of its pencil at the same time as the iPad Pro with the M4 chip. It adds haptic feedback, squeeze gestures and roll capabilities to the usual stylus tricks. It works with the newest iPad Pro, Air and Mini models.

RYO YAMADA’S ART INSTALLATION REFLECTS LONG-TERM CLIMATE IMPACT

Ryo Yamada’s Zero Meter Above Sea Level 20000 is a site-specific installation situated in the War Memorial Gallery at Summerhall Arts, Edinburgh. The work models the projected sea level in this specific location 19,980 years into the future, assuming a continued trajectory of global sea-level rise.

The installation is based on the current elevation of Summerhall, approximately 76 meters above present sea level. With ongoing climate-induced sea-level rise, currently estimated at approximately 0.5 meters globally over the next century, the piece extrapolates this trend to visualize a time when the sea may reach the current elevation of the gallery site.

all images courtesy of Ryo Yamada

Zero Meter Above Sea Level 20000 uses timber and non-woven fiber

Constructed over 33 days, the installation occupies a footprint of 4.2 meters by 4.2 meters within the 7-meter-wide by 6-meter-deep gallery. The ceiling height of the work is set at 2.17 meters, referencing a calculated sea-level height relative to the gallery floor, which itself sits 1.35 meters above the base elevation point of 76 meters.

Designer Ryo Yamada’s installation uses slender 21mm x 21mm timber elements, each manually cut by the artist. Despite their fine dimensions, the frame is structurally stabilized through precise interconnections, forming a unified, monolithic volume. The skeletal timber structure supports a surface of non-woven fiber, which diffuses light to evoke the visual and atmospheric quality of a future sea surface.

projected sea level 19,980 years from now, modeled in timber and light

Zero Meter Above Sea Level 20000 situates the future sea at gallery height

timber frame marks a speculative ocean surface in central Edinburgh

Rolling out with the latest update, Spotify is getting a redesign on Android Auto and also adding support for “Jam” on the car’s display.

Announced back at Google I/O 2025 earlier this year, Spotify is now taking advantage of Android Auto’s newfound flexibility in media apps. An update available now brings additional functionality to Spotify’s Android Auto app, most notably including support for “Jam.”

The new Spotify app includes a handful of key changes. There’s now a more prominent “Downloaded” section in your Library, allowing you to only use music that’s available offline. That might be handy when driving on rural roads without stable signal. You’ll also now see an indicator on downloaded tracks while browsing albums or playlists.

There are also some minor UI changes throughout the app, as well as a new floating Search shortcut that opens a dedicated search page for Spotify. Previously, Google Assistant was the sole was to search for music and it would just start playing. Now, you can search for albums or tracks and see results in the app.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Finally, the big addition is Spotify Jam. This feature, found on the “Now Playing” page, pulls up a QR code which other users can scan to start collaborating on the current music queue. The driver is the host, with guests able to add music which is then played through the car, which seems like a really useful feature for road trips. Once a guest has been added, the app will easily allow them to be removed by the driver.

This change appears to be attached to Spotify 9.0.58.596 for Android, available now via the Play Store.

Other media apps are likely to start getting similar updates in the months to come, with Google having confirmed Amazon Music and YouTube Music will both leverage the added flexibility in time.

More on Android Auto:

Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram

SUSE developers working on their new operating system installer “Agama” have been making steady progress and on Friday debuted Agama 16. With Agama 16 they have moved from X.Org to Wayland for powering their installer UI along with a number of other changes.

The Agama 16 operating system installer has introduced better matching for storage devices, installation status reporting via IPMI for Linux servers, initial support for using existing MD RAID arrays from the Agama web interface UI, a more friendly experience for remote installations, checking the strength of typed passwords, and other enhancements.

SUSE also decided that it’s time to switch from using the X.Org Server to Wayland as the display server for running their Firefox-based web UI for the installer on graphical installations. Switching to Wayland did increase the install image size compared to their former images using X11 but they are going to be working on improvements there along with restoring some now-missing keyboard shortcut support.

SUSE continues working on the Agama operating system installer so that it will be ready for use with the upcoming openSUSE Leap 16.0 and SUSE Linux Enterprise 16.0 operating system releases. More details on the Agama 16 changes via the Agama project blog.

The rollout of Android 16 happened sooner than we expected. However, the highly anticipated Material 3 Expressive design language won’t be available until the Android 16 QPR1 update later this year. In the meantime, we’ve seen multiple Google apps, such as Google Messages, introduce Material 3 Expressive elements into the app. The messaging app is now working on yet another change in line with the updated design philosophy.

An APK teardown of the latest Google Messages beta (version 20250701_01_RC00) by Android Authority has revealed work on a design refresh for the contact profile/chat info page. This page can be accessed by tapping the contact’s name at the top of a 1-1 conversation or from the list of chats by tapping the contact’s profile image, followed by the “i” icon.

Current vs upcoming (via Android Authority)

This redesign focuses on enlarging the four key buttons on the contact profile page: Call, Video, Contact info, and Search. Compared to the current set of buttons, the upcoming version features significantly larger, oval-shaped buttons. These changes align with the Material 3 Expressive updates we’ve seen across multiple Google apps so far.

The updated visual elements should be available imminently

In addition to their larger size, Google is giving these four buttons more flair. A video uploaded by Android Authority shows how the buttons expand momentarily when the user interacts with them, which is a nice touch. It’s worth pointing out that this feature was manually activated, which means that simply sideloading the Google Messages beta APK on your Android smartphone won’t suffice.

There are no specifics available on the wider rollout of this contact page redesign, which isn’t surprising given that it is only accessible through the beta version. However, with Material 3 Expressive being a big area of focus for Google in the coming months, we’d be surprised if these changes didn’t reach the stable version of Google Messages imminently.

Similar to Google Messages, we’ve recently seen apps like Google Wallet gaining some Material 3 Expressive changes. Meanwhile, email client Gmail is also prepping an updated look in line with Android’s updated design language.