Technology

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At a star-studded event hosted by the late-night host, Google announced new phones, watches, earbuds and Android features.

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Starting Thursday, you can expect to pay more for a new PlayStation, thanks to "a challenging economic environment."

The lack of built-in, MagSafe-style magnetic accessory support has been a major bugbear for Android users in recent years, but Google has finally debuted a Pixel-exclusive alternative to Apple’s popular iPhone technology.

Pixelsnap is an ecosystem of magnetic Qi2.2 accessories for the entire Google Pixel 10 line. Much like MagSafe, it lets you attach wireless chargers, stands, grips, and other accessories to the back of any Pixel 10 phone, with their built-in magnetic rings facilitating charging up to 25W (the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro Fold are capped at 15W, while the 10 Pro XL gets a higher 25W ceiling).

Google revealed a suite of first-party Pixelsnap accessories at its latest Made by Google showcase; the first batch includes a magnetic charger, a magnetic stand, and a magnetic ring tool. But, crucially, Pixelsnap is also compatible with existing MagSafe accessories from Apple and third-party brands like Belkin, which is a bigger deal than it sounds.

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Apple hasn’t been gatekeeping its MagSafe technology; it actually helped develop the Qi2 wireless charging standard in 2023, which uses magnetic alignment to facilitate faster charging on mobile devices.

Until now, though, the HMD Skyline was the only Android phone to come with built-in magnets to fully support the Qi2 standard.

Recent top-end Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and OnePlus 13 are technically Qi2-ready, but they don’t have built-in magnets – you have to purchase a compatible case (or adhesive ring) with a magnetic mounting system to make use of their Qi2 capabilities.

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Pixelsnap accessories for the Pixel 10 Pro (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)Image 2 of 2

Pixelsnap accessories for the Pixel 10 Pro (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future)

The Google Pixel 10 and its siblings, then, are the first mainstream Android phones to ship with a true MagSafe-style alignment system – and for now, that gives them a rare hardware edge over the best Android phones from the likes of Samsung, OnePlus, and Motorola.

Other upgrades for the Google Pixel 10 line include new AI-powered camera features, a dedicated telephoto camera for the base model, and an IP68 rating for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold; but, for the reasons outlined above, Pixelsnap could be the most important upgrade of all.

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• From August 21, the price of all PlayStation 5 consoles is increasing by $50
• The standard PS5 will be $549.99, while the PS5 Pro jumps to $749.99
• PS5 accessories – and consoles in other regions – remain unchanged

Sony has announced that it will increase the recommended retail price of the PlayStation 5 in the US.

In a post on the official PlayStation Blog, the manufacturer stated that "a challenging economic environment" has led to the "difficult decision" of increasing the price of all PS5 consoles by $50.

That means, from August 21, the price of the standard PS5 console will increase from $499.99 to $549.99. The cheaper PS5 Digital Edition will also see a jump from $449.99 to $499.99. Lastly, the premium PS5 Pro will leap from $699.99 to $749.99 – yikes!

In one piece of positive news amidst all the gloom, Sony did at least confirm that the price of PlayStation 5 accessories will remain unchanged. So, everything from the DualSense Controller to the Vertical Stand will not be more expensive and will stay at the current price for now.

If it wasn't clear enough what the reasoning is behind these price increases, Sony has added a final note to the update, stating that it has no other price changes to announce for other markets. These price hikes are solely for the US and are almost certainly due to the ongoing chaos caused by US tariffs.

Sony isn't the only games console manufacturer to announce price hikes in the US this month. Back at the start of August, Nintendo also bumped up the price of various Switch consoles by up to $50. These increases applied to the original Nintendo Switch, the Switch Lite, and the Switch OLED. The latest Nintendo Switch 2 remained untouched, but some of the console's new accessories did receive smaller price increases.

Of course, retailers have some leeway on whether to go with the new prices for PS5 consoles from tomorrow, but given how many immediately responded to the Nintendo Switch price changes, I wouldn't be surprised if all of them are implemented sooner rather than later. That means, shop now if you want to secure a saving, as it's likely that it'll only be the same prices we see now returning on Black Friday.

We're approaching five years since the launch date of the original PS5, and while the price has fluctuated in many regions, a blanket increase like this is unheard of so late in a console's lifecycle.

Most of us expect older consoles to get cheaper, not more expensive – especially deals hunters like me who are always trying to find the best offers for the most wanted tech. These are unusual times.

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• A 22-year-old Ethan Foltz was recently arrested
• He's being suspected of building, and renting, an enormous DDoS-for-hire botnet called Rapper Bot
• Since the arrest, there were no reports of new Rapper Bot activity

A 22-year-old Alaskan man has been arrested under the suspicion of building, maintaining, and renting “one of the most sophisticated and powerful DDoS-for-hire botnets currently in existence” - the infamous “Rapper Bot”.

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced law enforcement agents raided the home of Ethan Foltz of Eugene, Oregon, who was apparently arrested, while Rapper Bot was seized and terminated.

The DoJ also claimed the raid a success, as “private sector partners have not reported any Rapper Bot attacks since”.

10 years in prison

Foltz is now suspected of developing and distributing a unique piece of malware that infected Digital Video Recorders (DVRS) and WiFi routers.

That malware allegedly granted him control over almost 100,000 devices, which he used to build a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) botnet.

Together with his alleged co-conspirators (who weren’t named in the announcement and were most likely not arrested), he sold access to that botnet, which various cybercriminals used to mount DDoS attacks against different entities, including government agencies, social media platforms, and US tech companies.

According to the criminal complaint, just between April 2025 and today, Rapper Bot was used in 370,000 attacks against 18,000 victims, located in 80 countries around the world.

US Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska described Rapper Bot as “one of the most powerful DDoS botnets to ever exist.” The attacks measured up to three terabits per second, and in some cases even exceeded six terabits per second.

The announcement also said that a single, 30-second DDoS attack could cost a business up to $10,000 in different costs, from lost revenue, disgruntled customers, to bandwidth usage costs, or the resources needed to respond to attacks.

Foltz is charged with one count of aiding and abetting computer intrusions, and if convicted, he could spend the next 10 years in prison.

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A few of Google's apps, such as Google Maps, will be able to connect to T-Satellite when you're off the grid.

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Shipping Oct. 9, the $130 Pixel Buds 2A don't seem to vary much from Google's flagship Pixel Buds Pro 2, but I found some key differences.

Just days after Samsung made its Samsung made its Galaxy Buds 3 FE official, Google’s ushering in a new pair of similarly affordable, value-oriented earbuds, and I got to briefly try them. That’s right, the Pixel Buds 2a are officially official with a much more compact carrying case and in-ear design that resembles the more expensive Pixel Buds 2 Pro.

Google’s Pixel Buds 2a are priced at $129 / £129 / AU$239 and are up for preorder right now. However, just like the just-announced Pixel Watch 4 or Pixel 10 Pro Fold, and even the Pixel Buds 2 Pro in 2024, these earbuds won’t ship until October. Specifically, October 9, 2025, is the Pixel Buds 2a’s actual launch and when deliveries are expected to begin.

Even with a long time to wait, there is a lot to like here, especially factoring in the price you pay.

It starts with the overall design. The Pixel Buds 2a take up less space than the original Pixel Buds A earbuds and were easy to place in my ears.

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I especially like that the twistable stabilizer has trickled down from the Pixel Buds 2 Pro and allows you to sort of lock these in your ear for when you'll be active, or to choose a slightly looser fit for gentler use. There is an ear-tip fit test you can conduct in the companion app for Android devices, and Google ships four ear tips in the box.

I wouldn’t sleep on the fun new Iris color option (shown above), either. It’s more of a light lilac in person, but I especially like the subtle pop of color it provides. Pixel Buds 2a are also coming in Hazel, which is a shade of black (shown below).

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

You’ll also find a “G” for Google engraved on each bud, and that same spot has a capacitive touch sensor for controls, such as pausing music or engaging Google Gemini, though you can also call upon the AI to help using the phrase, ‘Hey Google.’

Google’s also stepping up battery life here – Pixel Buds 2a should last for 10 hours on a full charge or for up to 27 hours with recharges in the case, though that's with active noise cancellation turned off. With it on, you're looking at seven hours from the buds and 20 hours from the case.

The carrying case is smaller and very palm-able, making the buds even more tempting to take every with you. The case recharges via a USB-C port and, like the Pixel Watch 4, now has a battery that can be replaced, making it more serviceable for long-term use.

Aiding in the improved battery life over the previous Google Pixel Buds A-Series is the Google Tensor A1 chip. It should make things a bit more efficient and speed up responsiveness, but it also powers another new feature – active noise cancellation.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Google promises that ANC on the Pixel Buds 2a is as good as the first-generation Pixel Buds Pro, and we’ll need to put that to the test. Without music playing, though, I was able to engage the ANC on the Buds 2a, and it brought a fairly packed hands-on space to a whisper.

It put me in the zone, to a degree, and with a track playing it should be even more effective, though Google didn't allow us to play music during this early look, which obviously means we'll be holding off from a full verdict until we can do our full review.

The Pixel Buds 2a will also feature a transparency mode for times when you want to let in environmental noise or someone chatting with you.

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

While I didn’t get to try audio playback on the Pixel Buds 2a, we do know that an 11mm dynamic driver powers the experience, and these affordable earbuds will boast an adjustable five-band equalizer via the app. For when you want to be immersed in sound, spatial audio is supported here as well, though it only works with certain Pixel devices (from Pixel 6 and later).

And if you misplace the case, you can see the location on a map, and if the earbuds are inside, you can ping it to have it play a sound. This way, the game of hide and seek will be done a little quicker.

On paper, the Pixel Buds 2a are shaping up to be a pretty compelling pair of earbuds, but even at $129 / £129 / AU$239, these are entering a pretty packed world of the best earbuds, with strong options at the same price and lower.

As we approach the official launch and arrival date of October 9, 2025, we'll put the Pixel Buds 2a through their paces and see just how good these new Google earbuds are. If you’re sold, though, the Google Pixel Buds 2a are up for pre-order now in either Iris or Hazel.

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