Google Messages beta rolling out QR code key verification

As previewed last year, Google Messages is beginning to roll out QR code-based key verification to confirm that you’re “communicating with the person you intend to.”

Once available, open a conversation in Google Messages and open the Details page by tapping their name in the app bar. The End-to-end encryption card has been around for some time, but tapping “Verify encryption” previously just opened a page with an 80-digit code.

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Google Translate adds live conversation translation, language practice features

Tech giant Google announced that it has added two new features to Google Translate that allow for real-time conversation translation and tailored language practice.

"Using the advanced reasoning and multimodal capabilities of Gemini models, we’re bringing two new features to Translate to help with live conversations and language learning," Google announced.

The updated Google Translate App supports live, two-way conversations in over 70 languages, including Arabic, French, Hindi, Korean, Spanish, and Tamil, with audio and on-screen translations, a release said.

To try it out, open the Translate App for Android or iOS, tap on “Live translate,” select the languages you want to translate and begin speaking. The translation will be read aloud with an onscreen trannoscript of your conversation in both languages on your device.

Microsoft’s Copilot AI is now inside Samsung TVs and monitors

Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant is officially coming to TVs, starting with Samsung’s 2025 lineup of TVs and smart monitors. With the integration, you can call upon Copilot and ask for movie suggestions, spoiler-free episode recaps, and other general questions.

On TV, Copilot takes on a “friendly, animated presence” that resembles the opalescent Copilot Appearance Microsoft showed off last month, though in a color that makes it look more like a personified chickpea. The beige blob will float and bounce around your screen, while its mouth moves in line with its responses.

Copilot will automatically appear on supported Samsung TVs, where you’ll find it within the Samsung Tizen OS homescreen, Samsung Daily Plus, and Click to Search. You can access Copilot by using a voice command or selecting it with your remote. From there, hit the mic button on your remote, and you can start speaking to Copilot.

PlayStation Plus Free Games For September 2025 Revealed

The PlayStation Plus Essential free games for September 2025 go live on September 2 and include:

⦁ Psychonauts 2 – a quirky, cinematic platform-adventure with psychic powers.
⦁ Stardew Valley – the beloved farming and life sim indie classic.
⦁ Viewfinder – a unique first-person puzzle game using photos to reshape reality.

Make sure you claim August’s free games (like Lies of P and Day Z) before September 1! These September games will be available until September 30 worldwide. 🎮✨

TikTok users will soon be able to send voice notes, images and videos in chats

TikTok is taking another step towards becoming more than just a platform for infinitely scrolling through short videos. The social media app told TechCrunch that its users will soon be able to send voice notes, images and videos in direct messages or group chats. According to a TikTok spokesperson, these features will roll out in the next few weeks.

Telegram 12.0 & Grok Update

Telegram 12.0 was expected to ship with Grok integration, but as of today (Aug 31, 2025) there’s still no confirmation. The deal appears to have stalled, with no signed agreement or official announcement.

This likely means Grok didn’t make it into 12.0 as planned — possibly due to negotiations falling through, strategy changes, or other delays.

For now, the future of #Grok on #Telegram remains uncertain.

Telegram for Android has been updated to version 12.0

We share with you the details of the main new features of the past month:

• Updated profile screen: The Android app has received a redesigned look for user, group, and channel profiles. The new screens visually resemble the design of the iOS Telegram client.

• Music in profile: You can add songs from any chats directly to your profile with one tap in the built-in player. After saving to the profile, tracks will appear in the panel under your avatar. Any audio files added to the public playlist are visible to everyone who views your profile.

• Default profile tab: It is now possible to choose which tab will be displayed first when someone opens your profile. This setting is also available for groups and channels where you have administrator rights to change their profile information.

• Gift-based themes: Dozens of new dynamic chat wallpapers based on unique gifts have been added, which can be set as a custom theme in any private chat.

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I am planning to do a giveaway soon. Stay Tuned 😉

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Google Play Games is about to show people what you play

Google is updating user profiles for its Play Games service on Android devices to display gaming stats, achievements, and social features. The changes include a suite of new capabilities for “showcasing and tracking your game progress and stats, new ways to build your gaming community, and allowing you to tailor your profile to your liking,” according to Google’s help page.

The update will be applied automatically, and starts rolling out in most global regions on September 23rd, and on October 1st for users in the EU and UK. Google is also emailing Google Play users directly to notify them about the changes. When applied, Google Play Games profiles and features will start appearing on the Google Play Store to prevent users from having to switch between apps when managing their accounts.

Google Launched Pixel Journal App

Google launched a new journaling app called the Pixel Journal at its Pixel 10 launch event, which comes nearly two years after Apple introduced its Journal app in 2023 with the arrival of iOS 17.

Google said its Pixel Journal uses on-device AI models to prompt users to fill out journal entries. The app can also suggest writing prompts based on memories, past entries, or your goals.

Plus, you can add photos, locations, and activities to a journal entry apart from logging your mood.

Microsoft Edge finally has an edge: Background play and no ads on YouTube

Microsoft is testing a feature in its Edge Canary browser for Android that enables YouTube videos to play in the background without a YouTube Premium subnoscription, potentially undermining one of Google's key paid services.

Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” Is Now Available for Download

The wait is finally over as the Linux Mint team has published the final ISO images of the Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” release, which are available for download from the official mirrors.

Based on the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble Numbat) operating system series and powered by Linux kernel 6.14, which should boost hardware support, Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” ships with the usual editions featuring the Cinnamon 6.4, Xfce 4.18, and MATE 1.26 desktop environments.

What's New:

- Fingerprint 🫆 Enrollment Feature
- Accent colour support for Xapps
- improved Wayland session
- Sticky notes update

so you can download Linux Mint 22.2 right now from the download links below. The Linux Mint 22 series will be supported until 2029.