Tech Boys

It seems certain at this point that laptop and smartphone prices are going to go up even more in 2026. Case in point: modular PC maker Framework just announced yet another price hike on DDR5 RAM components. Framework says that it's charging customers "as close as possible to the actual purchase prices we have with our suppliers," and that it will now be charging roughly $10 per gigabyte. Why? Demand for memory hardware, as a result of the AI boom, has led to a global memory shortage, which has in turn forced companies like Framework to raise their prices. Earlier this month, we reported that Samsung had warned its manufacturing partners that it was doubling prices on DDRM RAM, and laptop makers like Lenovo, Dell, and HP have all warned of looming price increases in the new year. The most recent price hike from Framework adds $10 per GB for the 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB options, with prices going up even higher for RAM modules 48GB and up. And, again, this is yet another p...

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) CEO Dr. Lisa Su will help get CES 2026 underway on Monday, Jan. 5 by delivering a keynote address. AMD is a major player in the tech world, if perhaps not a household name like Apple or Samsung. It's one of the preeminent chipmakers on the globe, making it increasingly powerful and important in the AI era. OpenAI, in fact, just announced a massive partnership with AMD in an effort to build out AI infrastructure. AMD wrote on its site that Su will take the "CES stage in Las Vegas to highlight, alongside partners and customers, the AMD vision for delivering future AI solutions – from cloud to enterprise, edge and devices." You can watch the keynote address on YouTube . It's scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. ET on Monday, Jan. 5. We've also embedded the livestream below. Mashable will be on the ground reporting at CES 2026 — make sure to follow our coverage . You can expect lots of news from the big stories to the weird gadgets. ...

TL;DR: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows is on sale for $29.97 (reg. $229), giving you lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more on one computer. Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 for Windows $29.97 $229 Save $199.03   Get Deal Software subscriptions add up quickly, especially when you only need the basics. If Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are already part of your daily routine, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019 is a practical alternative, offering a single payment with no additional fees for only $29.97 (reg. $229). This edition includes the classic lineup, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access, all installed locally on a single Windows PC. While it isn’t Microsoft’s latest version, Office 2019 brought real improvements over earlier releases, like enhanced inking tools across apps, new data analysis features in Excel, better presentation op...

Retractable door handles, popularized by Tesla, are now found on many electric vehicles. However, if automakers want to do business in China, they will have to adjust their approach to handling door handles in the country. As noted by the outlet  Autoblog , under new draft rules  released  by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, all vehicles in the country weighing under 3.5 tons must have interior and exterior handles with a mechanical emergency release. SEE ALSO: Apple removes popular gay dating apps from China's App Store This move will effectively ban all retractable EV door handles on new cars released in the country. The ban goes into effect on January 1, 2027. Regulators didn't have to work too hard to make their case that electric-only retractable door handles are a safety issue. A recent Bloomberg analysis tied 15 auto deaths directly to Tesla's doors not opening. Although many EVs feature mechanical releases within the vehicle, ther...

TL;DR: Stop juggling subpar free apps. A lifetime of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more is just $34.97 (reg. $219.99) for a limited time. Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License $34.97 $219.99 Save $185.02   Get Deal Anyone who’s been hopping between free writing apps, browser-based spreadsheets, and whatever presentation tool you can find in a pinch, here’s some good news: you can get the full Microsoft Office Professional 2021 suite for just $34.97. Not per month. Not per year. For life. This deal gives you permanent access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, Access, and even the free version of Teams — all installed directly on your Windows machine so you can work offline, online, or anywhere in between. It’s the classic Microsoft experience, updated for how people actually work today . Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals t...

Samsung is adding two brand new speakers to its audio lineup, along with updated soundbars boosted with AI features. While not as inconspicuous as the Samsung Frame , the new WiFi speakers, called the Music Studio 5 and 7, were designed to blend into your living room's atmosphere with their minimalist design. However, if you're looking for a more convenient option, Samsung also updated its flagship HW-Q990H soundbar, while also introducing the more affordable choice of the HW-QS90H. Samsung built the Music Studio 5 with a four-inch woofer and dual tweeters, pairing them with a built-in waveguide to deliver better sound. To customize the sound, Samsung added its new AI Dynamic Bass Control that can make bass sound better without any distortion. You can even control the "gallery-inspired" speaker via voice or Bluetooth and it's compatible with WiFi casting and streaming services. Samsung For an upgraded option, the Music Studio 7 comes with a 3.1.1-channel spa...

OpenAI is looking for a new Head of Preparedness who can help it anticipate the potential harms of its models and how they can be abused, in order to guide the company's safety strategy. It comes at the end of a year that's seen OpenAI hit with numerous accusations about ChatGPT's impacts on users' mental health, including a few wrongful death lawsuits . In a post on X about the position, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that the "potential impact of models on mental health was something we saw a preview of in 2025," along with other "real challenges" that have arisen alongside models' capabilities. The Head of Preparedness "is a critical role at an important time," he said. Per the job listing , the Head of Preparedness (who will make $555K, plus equity), "will lead the technical strategy and execution of OpenAI’s Preparedness framework , our framework explaining OpenAI’s approach to tracking and preparing for frontier capabi...

Capitalizing on the massive success of the hit Canadian Crave/HBO Max series Heated Rivalry , audio erotica app Quinn has been teasing the show’s leads, Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, as its newest star collaborators. SEE ALSO: The glorious, easy-to-miss moments in Heated Rivalry's finale The rollout began on Friday with a series of cryptic teasers. The first featured hockey gear laid out in a recording studio , soundtracked by the instantly recognizable t.A.T.u. hit "All the Things She Said." A follow-up clip leaned further into the mystery, showing confused production staff questioning why the only food on set was tuna melts, followed by blurred shots, quick cuts, and what appeared to be cue cards — all but confirming the involvement of the Heated Rivalry stars. Taken together, the clues strongly suggest Quinn is preparing to have Williams and Storrie record audio content drawn from Heated Rivalry , the Rachel Reid novel that inspired the series and the ...

LG is set to show off the future of home robotics at CES 2026. The Korean tech conglomerate stated in a press release that it will unveil its newest domestic helper bot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in early January. Named "CLOiD," the robot is "designed to perform a wide range of indoor household tasks, enhancing everyday convenience and improving quality of life by making home management more efficient and intuitive." SEE ALSO: Chinese demonstration shows how dangerous commercial robot hacks can be It will theoretically do so with the help of two articulated arms, each with five finger-like digits on the end that are said to help it perform delicate tasks. The arms themselves have seven degrees of freedom. There's a chip in its head that acts like a brain, complemented by a camera, a display, a speaker, and other sensors that it will use to navigate the environment and communicate with its owners. It's powered by LG AI and, accor...