7 Days is a weekly roundup of picks of what"s been happening in the world of technology - written with a dash of humor, a hint of exasperation, and an endless supply of (black) coffee.
This week"s highlights include the new Firefox mascot Kit, Apple"s powers on the App Store, Microsoft"s threat to OpenAI, and NVIDIA"s GPT moment for graphics. Let"s get started.
How did we get here?
It"s always advised not to hardcode sensitive keys into your apps while hardcoding. One of China"s biggest cybersecurity companies made a rookie mistake that even beginners should avoid. Qihoo 360 accidentally shipped a highly sensitive wildcard SSL private certificate inside the public installer for its 360 Security Claw AI assistant, exposing its exact master key needed to authenticate traffic on its backend infrastructure to anyone who downloaded the software.
Stolen Made in America spyware
It was reported this week that Russia repurposed a stolen US-made spyware to target iPhone users in Ukraine. It"s a highly sophisticated suite of mobile hacking tools based on the Coruna toolset, which itself was originally developed by the Trenchant division of the defense company L3Harris.
While everyday users are an unlikely target for such multi-million-dollar spyware, its actual targets probably had little to no idea that their devices had been compromised. That"s because Coruna exploits fundamental flaws in iOS"s architecture. Peter Williams, who stole the confidential tool, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
Firefox gets a cute mascot
You might instantly picture a red panda wrapped around a globe whenever you think of Firefox. Mozilla has appointed a cuter official mascot for its web browser, named Kit, which is neither a red panda nor a fox. It can be found on the product web page, onboarding screen, in pop-ups for new features, or in confirmations after changing a setting. The browser-maker said it wanted something that brings you "some warmth and familiarity when you"re browsing with Firefox."
Mozilla also announced new features and updates coming to Firefox 149 over the coming weeks, including a free built-in VPN, split screen, and Smart Window to quickly summarize articles, compare products, and more.
Apple can remove apps at any time
Apple won a lawsuit against the streaming app Musi, which was removed from the App Store in 2024. Musi had sought a legal route against Apple, accusing the company of acting in "bad faith" and that it "knowingly relied on false evidence" to delist it. However, the judge ruled in Apple"s favor and sanctioned Musi"s lawyers for making up facts.
Meanwhile, Apple"s low-cost MacBook continues to remain in the headlines. Parallels Desktop added official support for MacBook Neo to run legacy and essential Windows apps. Parallels said Neo outperforms Windows laptops in single-core CPU performance, so Windows apps will feel quick and responsive.
Vibe check "failed"
Apple also went against vibe coding apps, such as Replit and Vibecode, by silently blocking their App Store updates. It"s reported that Apple wants vibe coding apps to open AI-generated apps in a separate browser on the device and remove functionality that allows apps to be built directly for Apple devices.
Because Googling your symptoms wasn"t scary enough
The newest love interest for AI companies is the health sector. Perplexity launched its suite of connectors, called Perplexity Health, which can connect to different sources, including Apple Health. It works with the Perplexity Computer AI agent to answer health-related queries and tracks health metrics and trends over time through a personalized dashboard.
Google is also updating its Fitbit Health Coach to integrate with your personal health records for personalized recommendations. In Europe, the search giant is moving beyond fitness tracking by deploying AI features for patients through a partnership with DocMorris while sticking to the European Union"s strict regulatory environment.
Microsoft threatens OpenAI, Britannica sues
Microsoft has been the biggest financial backer for OpenAI from the start. However, the tables seem to have turned, and the Redmond giant is now considering a lawsuit against the AI company and Amazon. Microsoft is arguing that the recent $50 billion cloud deal between Amazon and OpenAI violates its exclusive Azure agreements.
OpenAI found itself in hot water after Encyclopedia Britannica and its Merriam-Webster subsidiary filed a joint lawsuit against the AI company over copyright infringement. According to their complaint, OpenAI illegally scraped more than 100,000 protected articles and dictionary definitions to train its ChatGPT models without permission.
The OpenAI super app
One side effect of having too many apps is that things can become overwhelming for users. OpenAI must have realized that this could happen in the future and has decided to combine its desktop apps into a super app. In other words, the ChatGPT app, the Atlas web browser, and the Codex coding app will merge to become a single app in the future.
The said development was confirmed by OpenAI"s CEO of Applications, Fidji Simo. OpenAI aims to reduce fragmentation and accelerate development against rivals like Google. In other news, OpenAI launched the new GPT-5.4 mini and nano to bridge the gap in its lineup. These models are designed to compete with high-efficiency models like Gemini 3 Flash.
Gemini for Mac, Vibe design
In an effort to go native, Google is finally bringing a dedicated Gemini app for macOS. An early beta version of the app is currently being tested with a limited number of users. The initial version reportedly looks like the Gemini app on iPhone/iPad and only includes core features of the existing Gemini client.
The search giant also announced a new "vibe design" update for its AI design tool Stitch, bringing an infinite canvas, voice support, interactive prototypes, and other new features. Google also pledged $12.5 million in a collective effort to "improve the stability and security of the open source community."
Apple"s most expensive headphones
Apple announced the AirPods Max 2 this week, upgrading its priciest wireless headphones to the H2 chip we have already seen on AirPods Pro. While the sound drivers and overall design remain the same, Apple has added a new high dynamic range amplifier for cleaner audio, 1.5x better ANC, improved Spatial Audio, and a dozen new AI features.
Meanwhile, Apple-owned Beats by Dre partnered with Nike to launch a special edition of the PowerBeats Pro 2 wireless earbuds, featuring a dual-tone visual overhaul with different logos on each earbud.
The iPhone-maker is also buying the Polish company MotionVFX, which is among the most popular names in building plugins and effects for Final Cut Pro and Apple Motion. One possible motivation is that Apple can use MotionVFX"s massive catalog to offer premium content through Apple Creator Studio.
Unofficial Task Scheduler gets updated
Microsoft may not have the time to revamp Windows Task Scheduler, but someone did it a while ago with a Fluent Design-based unofficial remake. Known as FluentTaskScheduler, it was updated this week to version 1.6.0, dubbed "The Universal Order," which brings native support for Windows on ARM to improve performance. With improved content organization, you can categorize tasks by tags/categories, import tasks into folders, and search across items by name, status, path, or tags.
"GPT moment for graphics"
NVIDIA is baking a new DLSS AI upgrade that boosts gaming performance. CEO Jensen Huang unveiled DLSS 5 during the GTC 2026 Keynote and called it the "GPT moment for graphics." Its newest version, supporting gameplay up to 4K in DLSS 5, will introduce a neural rendering model capable of adding "photoreal lighting and materials" to pixels in real time, using color and motion vectors from each frame as input.
Unfortunately, the initial reaction from gamers and industry professionals wasn"t what NVIDIA had expected: criticism over the altered "AI slop" looks of the characters. Huang responded to it by saying that the critics are "completely wrong."
The chipmaker is joining forces with Intel to enable faster AI processing and inferencing performance by combining Xeon and DGX. Intel announced that its new Xeon 6 processors will serve as host CPUs for Nvidia DGX Rubin NVL8 systems. The chipmaker also refreshed its high-end mobile lineup with the new Core Ultra 200HX Plus series, bringing performance upgrades and architectural refinements.
Show bookmarks bar
Chrome for Android is finally rolling out the feature desktop users might take for granted: the bookmarks bar, which sits below the address bar on the screen. If you use Chrome on tablets and foldables, you can go to Settings > Appearance > Show bookmarks bar to enable the feature on your device running Chrome 146.
That said, here is some more browser news from the week:
- Perplexity"s Comet browser is now available on iOS
- Vivaldi 7.9 brings customizable full-screen mode, better split view, and more
- Chromium-based Opera 129 reaches stable channel with Gemini integration
- Gamer-focused Opera GX browser has finally arrived on Linux
WhatsApp gets a new home
The popular instant messaging app is now available on another platform: Garmin smartwatches. Garmin announced that WhatsApp now supports its Fenix, Forerunner, Venu, and Vivoactive lines of smartwatches, and if you have one of these, you can download the app from its Connect IQ store. While you can read and reply to messages, and get notifications for calls. You can not make calls, however, which is the case across most of the smartwatch industry.
AI Overviews are crushing small publishers
AI Overviews can make silly mistakes and ask you to glue cheese to your pizza. But it"s also showing some real, unwanted consequences for publishers of all sizes. A recent report revealed that small websites and publishers (with up to 10,000 daily page views) saw a 60% drop in web traffic from Google Search over the past two years. Meanwhile, medium-sized publishers (up to 100,000) saw a 47% drop, and larger publishers (more than 100,000) saw a 22% decline in traditional search referrals.
Solving AI"s biggest bottleneck
On the flip side, the AI industry is facing significant supply bottlenecks and bandwidth constraints amid the exponential rise in AI usage, prompting AI companies to seek even better hardware. Samsung and AMD signed an MoU to develop the next generation of hardware to support AI infrastructure.
As per the agreement, Samsung will supply next-generation HBM4 memory for AMD"s upcoming Instinct MI455X AI accelerators. Samsung will also provide highly optimized DDR5 memory for AMD"s AMD’s 6th Gen EPYC processors, with both components serving as the backbone of AMD"s Helios rack-scale architecture.
Amazon buys Rivr, Alexa+ in UK
Amazon is trying to make your package delivery as futuristic as it can get. In the newest attempt, it has acquired the Swiss robotics firm Rivr, which specializes in machines capable of last-mile doorstep deliveries. Rivr has been working on products such as a four-legged robot on wheels. While in the early stages, Amazon said it will use the tech to figure out what devices could be integrated into its delivery options.
On the software side, its generative AI assistant Alexa+ made its way to the UK, bringing smarter home control and deep service integration for users across the Atlantic. For starters, Alexa+ is much more capable than the standard version of the AI assistant people have used for over a decade.
Advanced flow for sideloading
Android"s sideloading feature has been in the news ever since Google announced controversial changes last year that require developers to get verified. In the latest change, Google said it"s building an "advanced flow" to make it easier for power users to download apps from unverified developers.
According to the search giant, it"s a one-time process designed to prevent coercion to download malicious software from scammers. Google is also working on "limited distribution accounts" that allow students and hobbyists to share their apps with up to 20 devices.
What happened at Microsoft this week
For those wondering what happened under the Redmond giant"s roof this week: Microsoft blamed Samsung for making C drive inaccessible, revealed unique details about Windows 11 version support, retiring Access Database Compare tool in June 2026, and adding the ability to pause Windows updates indefinitely.
Someone built a Windows utility called NoCopilotKey to make the Copilot key less annoying by restoring the CTRL button"s functionality. You can check out Taras"s freshly baked Microsoft Weekly roundup to catch up on all the interesting stories this week.
Same same
After turning the Xbox app into a universal launcher, Microsoft is testing a feature that Steam users have had for years. In a preview version of the Xbox app, the My Library tab shows a plus symbol, which opens a new window to add any program to the Xbox library and launch it.
The Quick Resume feature on Xbox Series X|S is getting some much-needed manual gears. You will be able to choose which games can use the Quick Resume feature. The latest additions to Xbox Game Pass bring even more horror and RPG heavy hitters, including Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Like a Dragon, Infinite Wealth, and Disco Elysium.
Minecraft...
The Tiny Takeover update is coming to all platforms on March 24, bringing dozens of redesigned baby mobs (including for tamable and wild animals, villagers, zombies, horses, and more) with custom sounds and animations.
Mojang is working with Merlin Entertainments to turn Minecraft into a physical experience. The block-based universe is officially becoming a theme park expansion to Chessington World Adventures in Greater London in 2027. Mojang is also readying a sequel to Minecraft Dungeons from 2020, which will bring back the casual dungeon crawling experience.
Lost in Simulation
The City Update 14 is now live for Microsoft Flight Simulator and its 2024 release, with upgraded visuals and accuracy of the Netherlands and Belgium. Its development team used advanced TIN (triangulated irregular network) surface texturing to update ten areas across the two regions.
Meanwhile, Electrician Simulation is free to claim on the Epic Games Store in its latest giveaway. As the name suggests, you can assume the role of an electrician and simulate fixing various equipment and appliances.
Death Stranding 2 for PC leaked on Steam
A story floated around piracy forums that the developer of Death Stranding 2"s PC version accidentally uploaded an unencrypted version of the game for pre-loading on Steam. This came after a leaked build of Death Stranding 2 showed up on torrent and piracy-focused portals.
In other news, Valve is pushing the massive SteamOS 3.8 Preview update, adding Steam Machine support, KDE Plasma 6.4.3, kernel 6.16, better VRR, and broader handheld compatibility. Valve has also launched its store-wide first Steam Spring Sale for 2026, offering heavy discounts for thousands of games.
What else in gaming?
The latest issue of Pulasthi"s Weekend PC Game Deals curates a number of multiplayer games on sale this week. Xbox Free Play Days for the weekend include Sea of Thieves: 2025 Edition, Hell Let Loose, Trailmakers, and other titles.
Meanwhile, the free tier of NVIDIA GeForce NOW is losing some big games though, including Cyberpunk 2077. However, support for VR devices has been updated from 60fps to 90fps for Ultimate tier members.
That said, here are some more stories from the gaming world:
- Bethesda announces "countless improvements" to Starfield and a new story expansion
- Double Fine"s pottery-based party game Kiln gets an April release date
- Ubisoft pulls the plug on Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon creator studio, begins mass layoffs
- Life is Strange: Reunion, Icarus, and over 40 new games are coming to Xbox next week
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Crimson Desert blocks Intel ARC GPUs from playing, studio asks owners to refund
From the review corner
This week, Steven got his hands on the HYTE Gundam Wing Y70 Touch Infinite case, a special edition case celebrating the 30th anniversary of Bandai Namco"s Mobile Suit Gundam Wing anime. Each of the numbered units is extremely lightweight, with ample room for cable management, and comes with a pre-installed LCD and a PCIe 4.0 riser cable. However, it"s a bit pricier than the "typical" Y70 Touch Infinite, and HYTE should have included a PCIe 5.0 riser cable to compensate for it.
Timberborn 1.0
If you think beavers can succeed humans in a post-apocalyptic world, you should check out Pulasthi"s review of Timberborn 1.0. It"s a Lumberpunk experience with surprisingly detailed water physics and resource management systems, and dense, puzzle-like maps. The game gets brownie points for replayability, as there are two beaver factions available to play with either.
On the flip side, Timberborn 1.0 comes with a glaringly barebones tutorial, no in-game wiki or resource page for mechanics, and districts seem underbaked. It"s available for Windows and macOS on Steam for $34.99
More price drops!
We got you covered with some hot tech deals all week. For some reason, if you missed out on a great discount, here is a summary of some recent deals while they are still alive:
- Baseus Spacemate 11‑in‑1 docking station with triple monitor output for $89
- OnePlus Buds Pro 3 wireless Bluetooth earbuds on Amazon for $99
- ASUS The SFF-Ready Prime GeForce RTX™ 5060 Ti 8GB for $363.99
- Polk Audio Signa S4 Dolby Atmos soundbar for $356.04
- Denon AVR-X1700H 7.2 Channel AV Receiver for $493.48
To view all of our recent deals, click here.
So, these were some of the biggest tech news and other updates from this week. There will be more issues of our 7 Days series in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned. You can also support Neowin by registering for a free member account or subscribing to extra member benefits, along with an ad-free tier option.