The Monkey King & Google's New Phones | Your Digital Weekly #3

hello and welcome to your digital weekly this is where we break down the most interesting Tech news from each day of the week into digestible updates just for you whether you're tech-savvy or just curious about the digital world you're in the right place don't forget to subscribe to stay updated with all things Tech as we upload news from Monday to Friday every Sunday all right let's dive into this week's highlights on Monday national public data finally confirmed a significant data breach that compr the sensitive personal information of millions of users which I reported on two weeks ago now the breach which occurred in December 20123 and led to leaks in April 2024 exposed names Social Security numbers email addresses and phone numbers of individuals from the US Canada and the UK hackers were able to access and sell the stolen data which spans over 30 years and includes address histories and family connections a cyber criminal known as SX initially stole the data which was later passed to another threat actor for sale on the dark web the breach has sparked a class action lawsuit with victims being urged to monitor their financial accounts closely for any suspicious activity in total 2.9 billion records have reportedly been leaked although the company has recently claimed that the number of affected users is around 1.3 million despite this the large scale nature of the breach highlights the growing risks of identity theft and fraud emphasizing the importance of strong cyber security measures on Tuesday Microsoft introduced new battery life optimizations in Windows 11 which are currently being tested in the canary channel the earliest stage of the windows Insider program these optimizations include behind the-scenes improvements designed to extend battery life on laptops though specific details about the changes haven't been fully disclosed Additionally the power settings have been made more accessible allowing us users to easily adjust power modes depending on whether the laptop is plugged in or running on battery without having to navigate deep into the settings menu these changes still in the testing phase reflect Microsoft's commitment to improving power efficiency for Windows 11 users however as with any early stage features there are potential risks Microsoft has asked for user feedback to fine tune the battery optimizations and ensure they work as intended the company has emphasized that these updates could potentially extend battery life but results May Vary until further adjustments are made during the testing process next reviews are in for the Google pixel 9 series of products that were revealed last week the general consensus is that the phones Mark a significant step forward for Google's Hardware delivering the flagship quality that the company has been striving for since the pixel 6 the pixel 9 Pro and its larger sibling the pixel 9 Pro XL feature sturdy design flat edges and brighter displays that rival those of other premium smartphones like the Galaxy s24 plus and iPhone 15 Pro Google's new tensor G4 chip also addresses past performance issues making the phones more efficient and less prone to overheating even during heavy use despite the hardware improvements Google's focus on Aid driven features has been met with mixed results the pixel 9 series is packed with AI tools spread across different apps from AI photo editor to a daily AI summary in the weather app however these features often feel disjointed with inconsistent performance and functionality Google's AI integration feels like a work in progress sometimes delivering useful tools but also struggling with reliability while the pixel 9 series lays the groundwork for an AI first phone the overall experience is still evolving nonetheless the solid hardware and 7 years of OS updates make the pixel 9 a strong contender in the flagship Market on Thursday Apple announced they are preparing to give iPhone and iPad users in the European Union more control over default apps for phone calls messaging keyboards and more this new default app section in settings will roll out later this year with additional options for default navigation translation and call spam filter apps coming in Spring 2024 users will also be able to delete core apps like messages camera and Safari s except for the settings and phone apps in addition to these updates apple is refining the browser Choice screen for EU users those with Safari set as their default will need to scroll through the entire list of alternative browsers before selecting one and browser developers will gain more access to Performance data these changes come as Apple continues to open up iPhones to thirdparty app marketplaces including the recent edition of the epic game store which I covered last week and as always for this week's gaming news black myth Wukong the highly anticipated action RPG from Chinese developer game science released on Monday and has taken the gaming World by storm selling an astonishing 10 million copies within its first 3 days of release the game based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West has captivated players with its stunning Graphics fun combat mechanics and dramatic storytelling the game's rapid sales have positioned it as one of the most successful launches of 202 for drawing comparisons to Major Blockbusters in the gaming industry with many players already positioning it as their game of the year the overwhelming success of black myth Wukong not only highlights the game's quality but also the increasing Global appeal of chines developed titles the game's unique cultural influence and Technical achievements have resonated with a worldwide audience showcasing the potential for Chinese Studios to compete on a global scale with its massive launch black myth Wukong is on track to become one of the year's top selling games with ongoing updates and content expected to keep players engaged for the foreseeable future and that wraps up this week's edition of your digital weekly thanks for tuning in if you enjoyed the video don't forget to give it a thumbs up and if you want to stay up to date with all the latest in tech make sure to hit that subscribe button and ring the bell so you never miss an update got thoughts or questions about today's stories drop them in the comments below I'd love to hear from you if you want a more in-depth look at all of the news covered this week be sure to check the description for links to the Articles referenced see you next week