It’s been another incredibly busy week for tech news, and we’ve seen a lot of new devices once again from different brands and manufacturers. From Pebble’s out-of-the-ashes Phoenix story to Google’s latest smartphone launch, we’ve listed some headlines that you might want to scroll through, just to get you up to speed over the weekend. So without further ado, here are some of the biggest developments from the past week.
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Pebble Lives Again with New Models and a New Name
Years after its disappearance, Pebble has somewhat made a return to making new watches, which are now marketed under the “Core Devices” brand. There’s the Core 2 Duo which features a 1.2-inch e-paper screen, a polycarbonate frame that comes in black or white, and a built-in barometer and compass. Meanwhile, the more expensive Core Time 2 comes with some differences, such as a metal chassis which wraps around a larger 1.5-inch display. Unlike the Duo’s display, the Time 2 comes with touch functionality and a color display, and even features a heart rate monitor.
The Google Pixel 9a Goes Live, But it’s Not Exactly Perfect
This week also saw the arrival of the Google Pixel 9a, the company’s latest addition to its affordable A-series line of Pixel smartphones. Like the Pixel 9 flagship devices from last year, the Pixel 9a comes with flat sides and panels all over, although it loses the camera bar design which made Google’s smartphones rather distinct (at least from the Pixel 6 onwards). Other specs include a larger 5,100 mAh battery, the Tensor G4 chip, and a new 48MP camera. Google has delayed its launch to April though, due to some issues with performance.
Google’s New Gemini Features Make Work Easier and More Interesting
Google recently announced some new changes to Gemini, which now comes with some expanded features for users, especially in terms of productivity. There’s the new “Audio Overview” feature, which can essentially convert a user’s uploaded documents into podcast-style audio summaries, which even include AI hosts (for English users). There’s also “Canvas” which serves as an interactive workspace for creating and editing content such as documents and code, and even an option of sharing your work with other users.
Qualcomm’s New Dedicated Gaming Chips Come in Three Flavours
While its name is mostly heard in discussions surrounding the latest Android phones, Qualcomm also prides itself with its other smart platforms which are designed for Windows hardware and gaming devices. With regards to the latter, the company also unveiled its 2025 Snapdragon G Series Gaming chipsets, featuring the high-end G3 Gen 3 with Unreal Engine 5 Lumen support and CPU/GPU performance upgrades, the mid-range G2 Gen 2 which is designed for 144FPS gaming and cloud capabilities, and the entry-level G1 Gen 2 which designed for 1080p cloud gaming with improved performance.
