Articles by David Nield, Freelance Contributor

Watch out, Waze fans — there's a bug that means reports of police aren't showing up for many

By David Nield Published 12 August 26

It appears that a select number of Waze users aren't getting police alerts on the map, even though they're being submitted.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 on a wooden table, in an upside-down 'V' shape.

'The wobble is so annoying': one Galaxy Z Fold 8 user has resorted to an extreme fix to ensure their foldable lies perfectly flat

By David Nield Published 10 August 26

Someone has hacked off the cameras on their Galaxy Z Fold 8 just so the handset lies flat on a surface.

DJI Mini 5 Pro in flight with trees in the background

The FCC could start banning DJI drones that have previously been approved, and DJI isn't happy about it

By David Nield Published 9 August 26

Drones that have previously been approved for sale in the US might soon be removed from stores.

Gmail is killing off one of its best features — and now I can't use it as my favorite email hub

By David Nield Published 8 August 26

Gmail won't play as nicely with other third-party email accounts as it used to, so I'll have to change my email habits.

4 Comments

A still of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

'You'll own nothing and you'll like it': Google pulls the Lord of the Rings digital editions from one user's library, our latest reminder that digital purchases aren't always forever

By David Nield Published 8 August 26

One unfortunate user no longer has access to the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition after buying it from Google.

Two kids on their phones next to a photo of Mark Zuckerberg

New Mexico judge calls Meta a 'public nuisance' that's like a factory emitting 'noxious pollution' in record $567 million fine — and even Meta's own attorneys agree

By David Nield Published 7 August 26

In the second phase of the landmark New Mexico case, the judge says Facebook and Instagram are major polluters.

Heatwaves are getting so bad you can buy this portable 'human fridge' in Japan to save you from heatstroke — and it'll blast you with 41F air

By David Nield Published 6 August 26

So it's come to this: a portable cooling box for use in warehouses, on construction sites, and on campuses.

Google Assistant will shut down for good on Android and Wear OS in September — here's what you need to do next

By David Nield Published 5 August 26

Google has confirmed that Google Assistant will stop working on Android and Wear OS in the near future.

2 Comments

The 78.4 kWh Base Core battery can keep your home running during an outage, installs in under an hour, and gives back to the grid — as home battery installations reach a record high

By David Nield Published 4 August 26

Base Power just raised $1 billion for its Base Core battery, amid a significant uptick in home energy solutions.

Two Casio ABL-100WE watches on a white background next to the Casio CRW-H001 smart ring on a finger

Casio is going all-out on retro fitness trackers — as two vintage watches with Bluetooth step-tracking join a new version of its wild smart ring

By David Nield Published 3 August 26

Casio's latest products shift the company further towards the health and fitness market.

Google pulling Nano Banana from Google Earth after one day shows how bad our AI misinformation problem has got

By David Nield Published 2 August 26

Google rolled out its AI image editing trickery to Google Earth on the web, but it didn't take long before it was misused.

I logged 250 miles testing Android Auto vs Apple CarPlay and there's one I'm going to stick with

By David Nield Published 1 August 26

Which of these competent dashboards deserves to take priority in your vehicle? I put in the miles to find out.

3 Comments

A laptop on a table showing a Plex video library

I built a personal Netflix in three hours using the free Plex app — and I’m convinced it’s the future for Blu-ray and DVD fans

By David Nield Published 30 July 26

It's got to the stage where I'm getting back into my Plex library because streaming apps have too many frustrations.

A laptop screen showing Claude and Chrome extensions made with Claude

Can’t find the Chrome extension you want? I used Claude to make me two personalized ones — and they’re working flawlessly

By David Nield Published 27 July 26

One of the ways you can use your AI chatbot of choice is to customize your web browser to better suit your needs.

Google's data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa

'How we build is just as important as what we build' — Google reveals how it's going to solve the AI data center water problem by 2030

By David Nield Published 26 July 26

Google says it'll be giving rather than taking water when it comes to data center use within four years.

Now might be a good time to get yourself a Roku: prices are set to rise by up to 60%, and the memory shortage is to blame

By David Nield Published 26 July 26

The prices on all of the Roku streaming sticks and boxes have gone up — though only in the US for now.

OpenAI quietly signs letter from Nvidia, Microsoft, and Meta warning about dangers of 'premature restrictions' on open-weight AI models — as the White House accuses China of stealing from Anthropic

By David Nield Published 25 July 26

With China's open-weight AI models continuing to improve, US companies want to see a free market for all.

ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 to the Garmin Cirqa

By David Nield Published 25 July 26

There was a lot of top-tier tech content published on TechRadar this week, and these are the highlights.

A TV screen showing the Netflix and Prime Video homepages

Netflix and Prime Video plot AI-driven homepages, but users say they don't want 'software to think' for them

By David Nield Published 24 July 26

Both Amazon and Netflix are reportedly testing out plans to incorporate AI into the first streaming screen you see.

Garmin backtracks on Cirqa subscription after outcry from fans and makes a crucial feature available for free

By David Nield Published 23 July 26

Garmin has decided that users of the new Cirqa should be able to access real time hear rate data without a subscription.

2 Comments

Flock is pulling its plan to use its microphone network to monitor for signs of 'human distress' — but privacy concerns remain

By David Nield Published 22 July 26

Flock says it's abandoning the idea of using its acoustic detection network to listen out for signs of screaming and disturbance.

2 Comments

Google Pixel 6 held in hand with thumb reaching for fingerprint scanner

It’s officially the end of the road for the Google Pixel 6 and 6 Pro — but here are 6 clever ways to reinvent your old Android phone

By David Nield Published 21 July 26

Software updates for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are ending later this year, but you've got options for reusing your old handset.

2 Comments

Man holding a smartphone with the YouTube app opening

YouTube picture-in-picture mode seems to be broken on Android and iOS, and Google is 'actively investigating'

By David Nield Published 20 July 26

Some (but not all) users are reporting that picture-in-picture has stopped working properly on mobile.

Fake bus stops ads in London showing Meta smart glasses

'People are choosing to be a walking Flock camera': the smart glasses backlash hits new heights as celebrities blast 'creep goggles' — and activists install fake Meta Glasses ads at London bus stops

By David Nield Published 19 July 26

It's been a week of strong reaction against cameras in smart glasses, and tech companies are facing a lot of negativity.

8 Comments

Chinese company BrainCo unveils first 'brain-to-robot' interface for controlling robots with your thoughts

By David Nield Published 19 July 26

The latest in brain-computer interfaces can work directly with robots, without any physical input or verbal instruction.

David Nield

Articles by: David Nield

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