Stay connected with what’s happening in the world of tech and media! From RTX Spark to WhatsApp calls and more, this week is buzzing with major news. Check out what you may have missed in this week’s Tech News round-up.
Shelly Adds Camera-Free People Tracking to the Smart Home
A new presence sensor from Shelly can detect and track up to 10 people at once without relying on a camera. The $84.99 Presence Gen4 uses mmWave radar to monitor movement and activity across spaces as large as 650 square feet, helping trigger automations while preserving more privacy than a traditional indoor camera. Users can create up to 10 detection zones, allowing lights, heating, cooling, music, or other connected devices to respond only when someone enters a specific area. Sensitivity can also be adjusted to include pets or ignore low-to-the-ground objects such as robot vacuums. Support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Matter allows the sensor to work with platforms including Google Home, Apple Home, Alexa, SmartThings, and Home Assistant.
Microsoft Redesigns Photos Around One Unified Gallery
Managing pictures across multiple devices is getting easier with a redesigned Windows 11 Photos app. The updated experience combines images and videos stored locally on a PC with libraries from OneDrive and iCloud, allowing users to browse everything from one gallery. Microsoft has also rebuilt the editor with Crop, Enhance, Repair, and Stylize categories while adding support for editing HDR, HEIC, and WebP files without changing their original formats. Performance improvements include faster launching, smoother scrolling, and quicker loading for HEIC images. The new Photos experience is rolling out first to Windows Insiders, with a wider Windows 11 release expected later this year.
Windows Gets Ready for Nvidia’s New RTX Spark AI Laptops
Local artificial intelligence is becoming a bigger part of the Windows experience with RTX Spark AI. Microsoft has optimized its operating system for Nvidia’s new RTX Spark laptops. These machines combine an Arm-based processor, Blackwell GPU, and unified memory. This also lets users run powerful RTX Spark AI models directly on the computer rather than relying entirely on the cloud. Microsoft has created a streamlined setup process for RTX Spark that lets users discover, install, and launch compatible AI agents through the Microsoft Store with only a few clicks. Hermes, Perplexity, and OpenClaw are among the first supported agents, with more expected to join the platform over time. The broader effort also includes behind-the-scenes improvements to Windows compatibility with RTX Spark and memory management as Microsoft prepares PCs for increasingly demanding local AI workloads.
Google Launches a Universal Shopping Cart Across Retailers
Holiday shopping could become easier to organize with Google’s new Universal Cart, which is now rolling out across Search and the Gemini app in the United States. Shoppers can save products from multiple retailers inside one unified space instead of maintaining separate carts or wish lists on different websites. Google will monitor saved products for price drops and restocks, surface available promotional codes, and allow users to pay through Google Wallet or transfer items into a retailer’s own checkout system. The tool can also evaluate perks from stored credit cards to help shoppers choose a payment method with the most useful rewards. Google plans to extend Universal Cart into Gmail and YouTube in the future, further integrating AI-assisted shopping across its ecosystem.
Ledger Builds a Crypto Wallet That Looks Like an Android Phone
Security-focused hardware is taking a smartphone-inspired form with Ledger’s new Atom device. The Android-based gadget resembles a traditional handset, but its cellular connection is limited to data and does not support standard calls or text messaging. A separate Ledger OS runs on a secure element for sensitive tasks such as approving cryptocurrency transactions, while a physical privacy switch can cut power to the camera and microphone at the circuit level. Ledger has also designed Atom to work with AI agents, allowing software to prepare financial actions while still requiring physical approval before a transaction is completed. The device will receive five years of Android updates and at least seven years of spare-part support, including access to a user-replaceable battery.
WhatsApp Opens Calls to People Without Accounts
Joining a WhatsApp call no longer requires installing the app or creating an account. Meta’s new guest calling feature allows a WhatsApp user to send a link that anyone can open in a web browser to join an end-to-end encrypted voice or video call. Guests can use features including screen sharing, hand raising, and emoji reactions, but they must wait for the host to approve them before entering. They also cannot view other participants’ phone numbers, send messages, or invite additional people into the conversation. Meta plans to add Google Calendar and Outlook integrations later this year, making it possible to include WhatsApp call links directly inside meeting invitations.