This week, we had Made by Google, the annual showcase where Google debuts its latest Pixel devices – and it served up a real treat!
We also got some brand new streaming goodies, including Peacemaker Season 2 (following Superman, we’re a lot more keen to see what the DCU is serving up nowadays).
To catch up on all that and more, scroll down for the 7 biggest tech news stories of the week (spoilers: there’s a fair bit of Google in here, but that’s no bad thing).
Kicking things off with a different G, Gamescom 2025 was this week, and by far the biggest announcement is that Silksong finally has a release date, and it’s in just two weeks on September 4. This writer couldn’t be more excited, and taking a Switch 2 with us to IFA has transitioned from a good idea to a must.
There’s also a new Lego Batman game. Legacy of the Dark Knight looks to combine elements of the most iconic Batman stories from across comics and the films, as well as gameplay which looks ripped from the Arkhamverse games – with, of course, a healthy dollop of iconic humor Lego titles are synonymous with.
We also got Black Ops 7 details, a look at Fallout Season 2, a Lords of the Fallen 2 trailer, a first look at the Sekiro No Defeat anime, and a teaser for Black Myth: Zhong Kui – among so, so, so much more.
6. Apple TV+ got pricier
Another day, another streaming service hiking up its prices – and this time, it’s Apple TV+. Apple’s streaming service shocked this week by raising prices for the third time in three years.
The changes took immediate effect on Thursday (August 21) for new subscribers, while existing customers will see their next renewal bill jump from $9.99 to $12.99 in the US, from £8.99 to £9.99 in the UK, and from AU$12.99 to AU$15.99 in Australia.
If you’re considering canceling your subscription off the back of the news, then it’s worth looking at ways you can avoid the Apple TV+ price hike, as you can save money by signing up for an annual account, bundle, or Apple TV+ free trial – which is essential if you’re a Slow Horses fan!
5. Spotify stole and improved an Apple Music feature
Earlier this week, Spotify unveiled a new in-app feature that allows users to transition seamlessly between songs in new and existing playlists by tapping the ‘Mix’ button in the filter toolbar. The feature is similar to Apple Music’s AutoMix function, but Spotify is allowing you to customize your own cross-overs.
When you enable the feature, tabs will appear between each track in your playlist, marking each transition. The ‘Auto’ preset will be applied at first, meaning that Spotify will automatically transition the songs for you, but you can also choose from a selection of presets such as ‘Melt’ and ‘Wave’, or create your own transitions by playing around with its volume, EQ, and effect curves functions to craft a perfectly-blended playlist from start to finish.
According to Spotify’s blog post, its answer to Apple Music’s AutoMix is being rolled out in beta to ‘eligible Premium users’, but we don’t know when it will be available for all paying Spotify subscribers just yet.
4. We watched Peacemaker Season 2
As another terrifically written and acted installment of the HBO Max Original, Peacemaker season 2 gets more than a thumbs-up from us.
Set a few months after Gunn’s Superman movie, Peacemaker season 2 reunites us with Chris Smith (John Cena), aka the eponymous anti-hero, as he continues to struggle with reconciling his past.
It’s an impressive, entertaining, and startlingly thought-provoking continuation of its predecessor. A series packed with the usual trappings of a James Gunn project – dark and awkward humor, heart-wrenching moments, action-heavy sequences, a banging soundtrack, reams of melodrama, and broken characters you can’t help but adore – it’s must-see TV for DC comic book devotees, nascent DCU fans, and casual observers alike.
3. Google Pixel Buds 2a made their debut
Google has launched the Pixel Buds 2a, aka the new most affordable Pixel earbuds. And in case you already own the Pro 2, Google gave those some useful free upgrades (coming September) at the same time.
As well as being the first A-series earbuds to get active noise cancellation (which Google says is 1.5x better than the noise-nixing you’d find in the original Pixel Buds Pro), they’re the smallest and lightest Pixel Buds to date, with Google’s Silent Seal 1.5 to help block unwanted ambient audio – and we’ve given it a try in our early Pixel 2a hands-on.
As you’d expect, they work with Google’s Gemini – but it’s good to see the latest ‘Live with Gemini’ variation of the service for real-time conversational responses.
And what of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 updates? There’s a new color option, Moonstone (to match the Google Pixel 10 phone range), plus a free software update for all the other perks.
From September 2025, Pixel Buds Pro 2 will gain Adaptive Audio (Google’s take on adaptive noise cancelling) alongside Loud Noise Protection and head gesture control, so you can pick up calls and reply to texts hands-free. They’ll also get better audio processing for using Gemini in noisier environments, Live with Gemini support, plus extra notifications about your battery level of the earbuds’ case, so you’re never caught short.
2. Pixel Watch 4 dropped with first-of-its-kind features
While the Google Pixel 10 phones were the headline attraction at the Made by Google event this week, the Pixel Watch 4 also got some attention. With features new to the smartwatch category, such as emergency satellite connectivity, replaceable batteries and screens, a fully-domed screen, and simple raise-to-talk access to Google Gemini, the future looks bright for Google’s smartwatch (especially due to its 3,000-nit brightness screen). It arrived alongside the announcement of a personal AI health and fitness coach headlined by Stephen Curry, although there aren’t too many details on this front.
1. We got new Pixel Phones
As expected, we got a whole new collection of Pixel phones from Google, including the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which brought some nice upgrades on the camera side, like better selfie cameras and a 5x optical zoom on the base model (unheard of).
Visually, none of the four phones, including the lovely Pixel 10 Pro Fold, got much of an update, but there are features that I think Pixel fans will appreciate. They’re all running the new Tensor G5, and, naturally, that’s powering all that AI and photo assistance, including the Camera Coach, which might make a great photographer out of any of us. Add Me can now add animals, and your phone can now do live translation in your voice.
Still, if we had to boil it down to the two most talked about updates, it might be IP68 protection for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold (a first in the folding space) and Pixel Snap, Android’s own version of Apple’s MagSafe. All we can say is, “It’s about time.”
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hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector)
