Category: 4. Technology

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• AI Pro bundle worth $240 is available for Pixel 10 Pro users for free.
• Access features like Gemini 2.5 Pro, Veo 3, NotebookLM, and more.
• The base Google Pixel 10 variant isn’t included in this offer.

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Google’s new Pixel lineup includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. These are among the most advanced phones right now, and Google is leaving no stone unturned to convert iPhone users. Apart from the new MagSafe-like PixelSnap feature, the company is targeting Apple Intelligence’s missed opportunity with a free Google AI Pro plan to sway Apple fans.

Also: I replaced my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra with the Pixel 10 Pro XL for a week – and can’t go back

Google is offering its AI Pro plan, worth $240, for free to users who purchase and activate a Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, or Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Unfortunately, the offer isn’t available for the base Pixel 10 variant. 

As a result, if you spend $999 or more on a new Google phone, you are eligible to subscribe to a one-year Google AI Pro plan for free. Samsung offered a similar deal with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7, and Z Flip 7 FE, but it was a $120 offer, so it was limited to six months.

The Google AI Pro plan bundles enhanced features like access to Gemini 2.5 Pro, Veo 3 for AI-generated videos, 2TB of cloud storage, and previews of upcoming AI tools. It typically costs $20 a month, but Google will cover a year’s worth of membership for free if you buy one of the new Pixel 10 Pro smartphones.

How to get Google AI Pro plan for free with Pixel 10 Pro

To redeem the Google AI Pro plan offer, you need to download the Google One app on your new Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, or Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Make sure you log in with the Google account that you want the subscription associated with. Once done, the offer page should appear automatically with terms and conditions, which you have to accept.

Also: Everything announced at Made by Google 2025: Pixel 10 Pro, Fold, Watch 4, and more

Notably, the Google AI Pro plan offer is not available to Google One users who:

• Are subscribed to an add-on
• Are subscribed to a higher-tier plan than the one being offered
• Are on a family plan who are not the plan manager
• Have a subscription through a third party or affiliate

You can redeem this Pixel 10 Pro offer by Oct. 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Unless canceled earlier, Google AI Pro will charge $19.99 after the trial ends, so make sure you cancel it after a year of use if you don’t find value in it. Google says you can cancel anytime, and no refunds will be initiated for partial billing periods.

Also: College students can get Google’s AI Pro plan for free now. Here’s how

The latest Google Pixel 10 phones offer a range of AI features, including the new Magic Cue, Camera Coach, and more. Google is banking on Gemini’s extensive suite of AI features to leave a lasting impression on your daily workflow, and hoping it’ll make you spend $20 per month after the offer period ends.

Consumer app revenue is surging and with it the pressure to find scalable, efficient growth. Yet most marketing budgets remain concentrated in just two platforms: Google and Meta.

Moloco’s latest report Performance through independence: Unlocking incremental app growth beyond Google and Meta addresses this disparity, exploring how user behaviour has evolved over the past few years and the opportunities these changes have created and continue to create.

The report reveals that consumer app marketers concentrate 88% of budgets in walled gardens at a time when they should be diversifying. Moloco’s data suggests that diversified media strategies can deliver up to 214% ROAS improvements.

The numbers show that users are no longer just on Google and Meta; user attention is shifting to more diverse app categories and growth can be found in sometimes unexpected places.

In the era of AI, hyper-personalization and increasing privacy demands, marketers can no longer afford to stick to the tried and tested. To succeed in the modern app ecosystem, meeting users where they are and speaking their language are key.

Key insights from the report:

• Consumer app marketers concentrate 88% of budgets in walled gardens: See why this imbalance doesn’t reflect where users actually spend their time
• Diversified media strategies deliver up to 214% ROAS improvements: Learn how expanding beyond Google and Meta drives measurable performance gains
• User attention is shifting to more diverse app categories: Discover the growing preference for gaming, productivity, and AI apps over traditional social media
• The independent app ecosystem reaches 2 billion daily users: Explore the massive reach that matches TikTok and Instagram combined
• High-value users convert across unexpected app categories: Find out why successful marketers are finding customers in diverse, seemingly unrelated apps

Access the full guide today.

Home Audio

Delivering powerful sound, customizable lighting and extended hours of playtime, new Sound Tower is built for every occasion

Both models bring dynamic design, versatile portability and -optimized sound modes to enable tailored listening experiences with seamless indoor-outdoor use

9/3/2025

Samsung Electronics America today introduced the new Sound Tower (ST50F and ST40F models), its latest innovation in portable audio. Built for large gatherings, these new models combine advanced acoustic technology with a dynamic, modern design to deliver an immersive party experience through both light and sound.

“The new Sound Tower sets a new standard in how consumers experience entertainment in both indoor and outdoor settings,” said Hun Lee, Executive Vice President of the Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “With customizable lighting effects and an upgraded form factor that produces fully encompassing sound, it underscores Samsung’s commitment to providing innovative audio solutions for the diverse lifestyles of customers.”

Powerful Party Sound

The Sound Tower’s redesigned acoustic structure delivers rich, room-filling sound with exceptional clarity and deep bass. With Samsung Waveguide technology applied to its dual dome tweeters, audio is distributed and enhanced to ensure a wider, more even soundstage. This optimization provides crisp treble that can be heard clearly, while dual woofers deliver customizable bass with Deep, Punchy and Gentle modes, which allow you to tailor the experience to your preferences. Four additional sound modes — Standard, Wide, Stadium and Outdoor — let you further fine-tune your audio to match any setting, from backyard barbecues to packed dance floors.

Whether indoors or outdoors, you can enjoy long-lasting performance with up to 18 hours of untethered playtime on a single charge. This rechargeable battery ensures the party can continue without interruption, while IPX4 water resistance offers peace of mind during outdoor use. For an even more immersive soundscape, you can connect multiple units through Auracast™ Group Play or pair two Sound Towers via Stereo Play with True Wireless Stereo (TWS) for true left-right channel audio.

Vibrant Party Lights+ For Every Mood

The Sound Tower’s Party Lights+ system transforms any gathering into an immersive audiovisual experience. With five mood presets and six dynamic lighting patterns, you can set the perfect vibe using the revamped Samsung Sound Tower App, which provides seamless control of your lights and acoustic preferences.

The system reacts in real time, analyzing music beats and frequencies to activate dozens of LEDs in sync with the rhythm. Customizable mood options include a wide range of effects, movements and colors, including Wave, Trail, Spark, Breeze, Flow and Flare — making it easy to create atmospheres that range from “Festival” to “Chill.”

Upgraded LED lighting extends across five key areas of the speaker to deliver a 360° effect:

• Track light: an iconic LED racetrack-style light that surrounds the two woofer units to display vivid patterns.
• Ring light: LED lights highlight powerful colors around the two tweeter units.
• Line lights: four perimeter line lights that frame the body of the speaker for a moody effect.
• Crystal lights: centered at the base and the foot of the speaker to produce an energizing atmosphere.
• Handle light: doubles as a functional detail, illuminating the control panel and providing support for a tablet or smartphone for easy interaction and control of music and settings.

For added entertainment, built-in DJ Booth and Karaoke modes — as well as a guitar input — turn any space into a live stage, combining powerful sound and lighting for a true party-ready experience.

Portable and Built to Last

Designed for versatility, the Sound Tower’s bold, geometric form, integrated lighting and transport-ready build make it as visually striking as it is functional. It redefines portable party audio with a balance of power, design and convenience. The new models also feature the Samsung Grip & Roll design, with a bottom grip slot and integrated handle on the ST40F model, and the addition of wheels and a telescopic handle on the ST50F model for effortless mobility. Each model has been designed to deliver an elevated audio experience that matches a variety of needs:

• Sound Tower ST50F: Up to 18 hours of battery life, 6.5” dual woofers, 1” dual dome tweeters, telescopic handle + wheels, IPX4 water resistance.
• Sound Tower ST40F: Up to 12 hours of battery life, 5.25” dual woofers, 3/4” dual dome tweeters, integrated handle, IPX4 water resistance.

The new Samsung Sound Tower will be available this month at Samsung.com and other select retailers. The ST50F will have an MSRP of $699.99 and the ST40F will have an MSRP of $499.99. For more information on the 2025 Samsung audio lineup, please visit here.

Microsoft says stop using Chrome

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto

Between 50 and 100 million Windows users have switched browsers in recent weeks, just as Microsoft reveals its new warning to stop using Google Chrome. The problem is that this switch has not gone as planned — for Microsoft at least.

ForbesIf You See This Warning, Your Facebook Is Being HackedBy Zak Doffman

Microsoft’s latest campaign against Chrome generated plenty of headlines (1,2,3), with most complaining the tactics crossed a line. Pre-release Windows software targets heavy Chrome users with a push to the Edge. Now it seems Windows users have voted with their feet — or rather their keyboards. Chrome has just hit new heights.

Browser market share to August 2025

Statcounter

Until July, Chrome’s desktop market share had been flat for some time, hoovering at around 65%, per Statcounter’s representative data. Not any more. Google’s browser is now even more dominant, increasing its share to more than 70%. Edge, meanwhile, has lost around 10% of its own much smaller share, now down to under 12%.

“Browse securely now,” Microsoft warns Windows users installing Google Chrome, adding that “Microsoft Edge runs on the same technology as Chrome with the added trust of Microsoft.” A rethink could now be required, as the campaign has not even maintained Edge’s existing market share. The question now is what happens when Gemini and Copilot are fully integrated to fend off new pureplay AI offerings.

Chrome surges against Edge

Statcounter

This new data caps a good few days for Google on the Chrome front, with a U.S. federal antitrust ruling that enables the search giant to keep Chrome in-house. The browser is a money machine at the heart of Google’s search and ad empire, a shop window between its huge user base and the data- and ad-driven web it dominates.

ForbesGoogle Issues Critical Update For All 2.5 Billion Gmail UsersBy Zak Doffman

For Windows users, nothing has come close to unseating Chrome’s de facto default status in the Windows ecosystem or even denting its market share. And my sources at Google shrug off Microsoft’s attempts, given the stickiness of their product. Even so, for Chrome to add as many new users as implied by this data is a major surprise.

Have you ever looked at your pizza oven and wished it was just a little bit smarter? Ooni has, and so its new Volt 2 comes loaded with “Pizza Intelligence,” an adaptive heating system designed to deliver a more even and consistent cooking temperature.

The Volt 2 is an indoor oven, able to cook pizzas up to 13 inches in diameter, but it’s still small enough to fit on a countertop — though we’ve found other indoor pizza ovens too smoky to really use inside. Pizza Intelligence is new to the Volt 2 and uses sensor data to adjust the top and bottom heating elements, “minimizing temperature fluctuations and cold spots.” It’s a little less exciting than the name suggests.

The Volt 2 has a max temperature of 450 Celsisus (842F), right in the recommended range for cooking traditional Neapolitan pizza, which Ooni says should take about 90 seconds. That’s one of the three presets, with New York and deep-pan pizza, too, and the oven “adjusts temperature and crisping intensity” to suit each style. You can also add programmable custom presets if you prefer a different type of pie.

The Volt 2 will be available from October 1st for £499 (about $670). We’ll update this with US pricing when we have it.

Wednesday 3rd September 2025

Words:

Nathan Chadwick

| Photography: Salon Prive

Salon Privé returned to Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire from August 27-31, 2025 for its 20th anniversary, blending automotive passion in its many forms with a garden-party atmosphere. Despite some poor weather, the five days showed just why this event is so popular – with individual days that appealed to all facets of the UK’s motoring spectrum.

The quality of the cars on the showfield continues to improve, with the specific concours spread over Wednesday and Thursday. The Auriga Collection’s 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial Roadster took home Best in Show, while Anne Brockinton Lee’s 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica ‘Super Fast’ Prototype bagged the People’s Choice and the Ferrari – The Prancing Horse awards, as well as being declared overall runner-up. You can see a full list of winners in our dedicated report, which can be found here.

While the concours element and its special cars is the key driver behind the event, this year’s Salon Privé expanded significantly in both scope and inventive flair. Not only were there two driving tours, boat and helicopter demonstrations plus an Emerald Celebration of green cars to celebrate its 20th year, there were also displays of Ferrari 250 GTOs and McLaren F1s. There was plenty more to enjoy as well.

This year saw the introduction of The Automotive Gallery, home to 45 cars from manufacturers, specialist restomod companies and dealers. Highlights included a rare sighting of the McLaren W1, Clive Sutton’s new-build Mustang GT500CS and the Chevrolet Corvette Advanced Design Studio produced under the Julian Thomson-headed GM UK design team.

There was also Thornley-Kelham’s Jaguar XK European GT Roadster, a run of 25 drop-tops following in the wheel tracks of last year’s European GT coupé with a 360bhp rebuilt straight-six and a reshaped body styled by Paul Howse. Jimmy Carr’s electrified Aston Martin DB6 also made its debut courtesy of Electrogenic, and RML introduced the first production GT Hypercar, including a 40th Anniversary Special Edition, of which ten SEs will be built out of 39 GT-Hs overall. To top things off, CALLUM showed off its Skye concept.

Friday was Salon Privé Ladies’ Day by Boodles, and alongside the glamour of the Boodles Best Hat Competition there was a display of Bugatti Veyrons in celebration of the car’s 20th anniversary, plus a line-up of supercars courtesy of the Five Zeros Supercar Barn and the Apollo Capital Hypercar Collective.

Supercar Saturday saw more than 1000 cars from the UK’s leading clubs take over Blenheim Palace’s North Lawn. Highlights included a record gathering from the De Tomaso Drivers Club alongside displays from the Aston Martin Owners Club and Porsche Club Great Britain. The Club Trophy, presented by Lockton, went to a 1933 Invicta S Type of the Invicta Car Club.

On Sunday, the North Lawns were filled with 18 multi-marque supercar lifestyle clubs and four single-marque clubs. The Supercar and Lifestyle Club Trophies went to a TVR Sagaris from the Drivers Union and a Jaguar XJS from the XJS Club. On the South Lawn, guests saw a colourful SCC supercar parade with 78 cars, including a Volcano Orange Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren HDK. The Concours de Vente, where every car entered was up for sale, was judged by a panel led by Richard Hammond. The Prix d’Honneur awarded to Eric Broutin’s De Tomaso Pantera Group 4.

For more on Salon Privé 2025, head here.

Update: added new Duck Evolution codes on September 3, 2025

Who would have thought a game about being a duck could be so entertaining? Yet Roblox Duck Evolution proves it. You start as a tiny yellow duckling and slowly transform into a powerful predator with each stage of growth. To speed things up, here’s a list of Duck Evolution codes that grant free potions, coins, and other useful rewards. Grab the freebies and quack your way to the top.

All New Duck Evolution Codes

• Dalaxy: EXP Potions (NEW)
• Release: Win Potions

Expired Duck Evolution Codes

Currently, there are no expired codes for now, so you might want to redeem the current ones before they expire.

While you are waiting for more codes, try out some of the other popular games using our Roblox games code list. Start with Blue Lock Rivals and Grow a Garden, both of which are extremely popular on Roblox. Next, check out Anime Last Stand and All Star Tower Defense X for some good old-fashioned TD action.

How to Redeem Duck Evolution Codes

Like many other Roblox games, redeeming the codes for Duck Evolution is easier than getting through the tough levels in it. Here is how to do it:

• Launch the Duck Evolution experience on Roblox.
• Click the Shop option from the left menu.
• Press the Codes button and type a working code.
• Click the Verify button to claim rewards.

How to Get More Duck Evolution Codes

Keeping up with the codes for this experience is a breeze if you are on our page. We will update this list regularly, moving expired codes to the ‘expired’ section. That is why we suggest you bookmark this page for the codes for Duck Evolution that have not expired yet.

However, you can scour through the game’s socials for codes by yourself. The Duck Evolution Discord server is the ideal place to find the working ones. If you are in the Discord server, go to the announcements channel to find all the codes.

The game is fairly new, so make sure you are not late on the redemption. Check for typos if you are getting an error while redeeming them. We suggest you copy the code from our list for no hassle. The codes are Caps Lock sensitive; you must check that before the redemption as well.

With that, enjoy the freebies from these codes and become a legend like the Duck Capuccino Assassino. Have you started evolving yet? Share your evolution level in the comments below.

Ishan Adhikary

A gaming nerd who covers all things video games. Spending time playing games and writing about them was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game. You feel me.