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π‘ Get your daily fix of innovation, gadgets, AI, cybersecurity, and the tech shaping tomorrow. Technology Daily keeps you in the loop with smart, snappy updatesβperfect for busy founders, engineers, and curious minds alike.
Welcome to Technology Daily, your daily dose of tech news. I'm your host, and today is February 4th, 2026. Let's dive into the top stories making waves in the tech world.
Starting with some exciting news for Apple fans - the Apple Watch Series 11 is currently on sale for $299, that's $100 off the regular price. Engadget named it the best smartwatch overall, praising its 24-hour-plus battery life, thin and light design, and new health features including Apple's hypertension alerts system and Sleep Score. The deal is available on the 42mm GPS model in four color options. If you've been considering upgrading your smartwatch, this might be the perfect time.
In other Apple news, the company has released a second-generation AirTag that packs some impressive upgrades. While it looks virtually identical to the original from almost five years ago, the new AirTag features a second-generation ultra-wideband chip that extends Precise Finding range by up to 50 percent. It's also 50 percent louder with a higher-pitched chime that's easier to hear over ambient noise. In testing, the new AirTag's Precise Finding consistently worked at around 80 feet away, compared to just 30-40 feet for the older model. The device costs $29 and works seamlessly with Apple's massive Find My network of over a billion devices.
Speaking of portable accessories, if you have an iPhone Air, Apple's new MagSafe battery pack is on sale for $79, down from $99. This ultra-slim accessory at just 7.5 millimeters thick adds an extra 65 percent charge to your phone without adding much bulk. It can also wirelessly charge your AirPods Pro 3, making it a versatile travel companion.
Let's shift gears to space news. NASA has had to delay the Artemis 2 mission launch after encountering issues during a wet dress rehearsal. The Space Launch System suffered from a liquid hydrogen leak, and while engineers were able to troubleshoot and fill the tanks, the ground launch sequencer automatically stopped with about five minutes left in the countdown due to a spike in the leak rate. NASA is now targeting March as the earliest possible launch opportunity, and will conduct another test before announcing the official launch window.
In gaming news, Nintendo has announced its first Direct showcase of 2026, scheduled for February 5th at 9 AM Eastern Time. The 30-minute presentation will focus on third-party titles from partners rather than first-party Nintendo games. While we might not see new Mario or Zelda announcements, expect to hear about games coming to both Switch and Switch 2. Titles like FromSoftware's The Duskbloods, a Switch 2 exclusive, and Resident Evil Requiem could make appearances.
AMD CEO Lisa Su revealed during an earnings call that Microsoft's next-generation Xbox, featuring an AMD semi-custom system-on-chip, is progressing well to support a launch in 2027. This doesn't confirm Microsoft will definitely launch in 2027, but it shows AMD is ready to support that timeline if needed. The partnership between Microsoft and AMD includes plans for both console and handheld devices.
In social media news, French prosecutors announced that a search was underway at X's Paris offices as part of an ongoing investigation into the platform's algorithms. The investigation, which began nearly a year ago, is examining whether changes gave greater prominence to certain political content without user knowledge. Prosecutors have also issued summonses to Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino for voluntary interviews on April 20th. Additionally, the investigation now includes allegations related to images of minors created by Grok between late December and early January.
Speaking of regulation, Spain has announced it will ban social media access for children under 16 years old, joining countries like Australia in enacting such restrictions. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the ban will require social media companies to implement effective age verification systems, not just checkboxes. Spain will also make algorithmic manipulation and amplification of illegal content a criminal offense, with tech CEOs facing criminal liability for hateful or illegal content on their platforms.
For music streaming fans, Spotify has launched several new lyrics features globally. Users can now access lyric translations based on their device's language, see lyric previews, and premium users can view lyrics offline. The translations were originally introduced in 2022 but were only available in specific markets until now.
In AI news, Anthropic has announced that Claude will remain ad-free, in sharp contrast to OpenAI's confirmed plans to allow advertising in ChatGPT. The company is even running a Super Bowl commercial to hammer the point home. Anthropic states they want Claude to act unambiguously in users' interests, so users won't see sponsored links or product placements in their conversations with the AI assistant.
Amazon has made its AI assistant Alexa Plus available to all Prime members in the US across any Alexa-enabled device, the web, and mobile app. If you don't have Prime, there's a new free tier available on web and app, or you can pay $20 a month for unlimited access to Alexa Plus. The smarter, more conversational assistant was initially launched in Early Access in March 2025 and has slowly expanded to tens of millions of users.
For display technology enthusiasts, RGB LED TV technology is being called the innovation that will drive the next decade of television development. With incredible colors, brightness, and contrast, RGB backlighting uses individual red, green, and blue LEDs to achieve better picture quality than traditional LED backlights.
In streaming news, Netflix will be airing the first BTS concert in over three years. The live performance will stream on March 21st at 8 PM Korean Standard Time, or 7 AM Eastern, 4 AM Pacific. This marks the band's first performance after nearly four years, following their hiatus for military service. The concert takes place one day after BTS releases their new album Arirang, and Netflix will also release a documentary called BTS: The Return on March 27th.
For audio enthusiasts, Sony's WH-1000XM6 headphones are currently on sale for $398, down from $460 - a record low price. These top our list of best wireless headphones thanks to advanced active noise cancellation with 12 microphones, excellent sound quality, and approximately 30 hours of battery life.
In VR news, we've published our guide to the best VR headsets for 2026. The Meta Quest 3 remains our top pick for best overall VR headset, offering standalone play without requiring a powerful PC. Apple's Vision Pro M5 is now available for those looking for a premium mixed reality experience, while the Valve Index continues to be the best option for PC VR enthusiasts.
For content creators, the Sony A7 V camera has been reviewed as an imaging powerhouse that brings speed and precision to the enthusiast tier. Its new 33-megapixel partially stacked sensor offers best-in-class dynamic range and low-light performance. However, video-first creators might find it lacking compared to competitors, as it doesn't offer internal RAW recording.
Nintendo shared impressive sales figures, with the Switch surpassing the DS to become Nintendo's best-selling console ever at 155.37 million units. The Switch 2, meanwhile, has sold 17.37 million units through the third quarter, making it the fastest-selling dedicated video platform released by Nintendo to date.
In smartphone news, Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event is expected later this month, likely on February 25th, where the company will unveil the Galaxy S26 lineup. Based on leaks, the phones will feature Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip and maintain a similar design to the S25 series. The S26 Ultra may switch back to an aluminum frame after using titanium on the previous two generations.
For Deal of the Day, the 8BitDo Pro 3 Bluetooth Controller is available for just over $48, down from $70 - a 31 percent discount and the lowest price we've seen. This controller features TMR Joysticks, swappable magnetic buttons for switching between Switch and Xbox layouts, and compatibility with Apple, Android, PC, Switch, and Switch 2 devices.
That's all for today's Technology Daily. Don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on the latest tech news. Until next time, stay connected.