ICYMI: here's the week's 7 biggest tech news stories from our Z Fold 8 Ultra review to GTA 6's Netflix partnership

Date:
Sat, 08 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Description:
The week's biggest tech news stories from Samsung, Google, GTA, Netflix and more for August 7, 2026.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter This week, we reviewed Samsung
s latest foldables (including the best-in-class Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra), and
we found out when Google Assistant will shut down for good.

To catch up on all this and more, scroll down for our roundup of the weeks seven biggest tech news stories. And when youre all caught up, be sure to
test your knowledge in our weekly quiz. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: 7. Kojima Productions collabed on a CD player (Image credit: KM5 / Kojima Productions) As Sony plans to wind down the production of PlayStation game discs, auteur game developer Hideo Kojima is celebrating physical media with a new collaboration. His studio, Kojima Productions, has teamed up with the boutique Japanese audio brand km5 to produce a limited edition version of the Cp1 CD player inspired by the world of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach .

This special model comes in a luminous translucent orange inspired by the BB Pod from the game that's the glowing jar that contains the adorable baby
used to detect invisible enemies in its post-apocalyptic world. You may like ICYMI: here's the week's 8 biggest tech news stories for June 13, 2026 The week's biggest tech news from Nokia, Sony, and more for July 11, 2026 ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech news stories, from Android to Lego

It has all the same features that make the regular Cp1 a capable pocket-size CD player. This includes Bluetooth 5.3 support and a 3.5mm headphone jack for all your connectivity needs, a rechargeable battery with roughly eight hours of juice to take it on the go, and even a little LED display to display the track number. Read the full story: Hideo Kojima is celebrating his love of physical discs with a new limited edition version of my favorite mini CD player 6. The Google Assistant got an official shutdown date (Image credit: Philip Berne / Future) Its now over a decade old, which makes it a veteran by Google standards but this week we finally learned when the Google Assistant will be retired on Android and Wear OS. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

According to emails sent out to many Assistant users, the shutdown will begin on September 4. This means you wont be able to use Googles original Assistant on Android phones, tablets, paired wearables, and Android Auto after that date.

Instead, Google Gemini will inevitably take its place. You can download
Gemini now from the Play Store, and if you want to see your old Assistant interactions, theyll be available on the Web & App Activity page in your Google account. Goodbye, Assistant it was nice knowing you. Read the full story: Google Assistant will shut down for good on Android and Wear OS in September heres what you need to do next 5. We experienced a two-screen e-reader (Image credit: InkLeaf) Samsungs new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra , are the talk of the town right now, but this week also saw the announcement of a unique foldable ereader for avid notetakers. What to read next ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from OpenAI to Samsung ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories for May 16, 2026 ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from GTA 6 to Apple
prices

The InkLeaf is a notebook-like, dual-screen ereader thats built for the way you actually work, according to its manufacturer and the USP here actually makes sense. Kindles are great for reading, but not note-taking. iPads are great for note-taking, but not reading. And while a reMarkable tablet lets
you do both, you cant read and write simultaneously. By opening up to reveal two distinct 10.3-inch E Ink Carta displays, the Inkleaf aims to let you do just that.

These screens are separated by an aluminum frame so this isnt a foldable device in the modern sense but they can also display the same type of content, so you can annotate documents or even treat the Inkleaf like a hardback novel. Who says reading is dead?! Read the full story: The InkLeaf
is a dual-screen e-paper tablet that lets you read on one display and take notes on the other 4. We learned ogres are like Bose headphones (Image
credit: Bose) Initially, we were perhaps a bit harsh on that limited edition Eucalyptus finish at TechRadar HQ. The DreamWorks Animation hero they put us in mind of is a household name, but ogres arent known for their winsome
looks.

The thing is, team members are now saying words such as wasabi and matcha to describe them, and you know what? The more we look at those Shrek-green cans, the more we kinda like em.

What youre looking at is the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (Gen 2). It's been three long years since the Bose QuietComfort Headphones landed (which werent an inaugural set exactly; they simply updated the iconic Bose QuietComfort 35 II from way back in 2017, without all the odd letters and numbers).

What you need to know is that the brand has finally updated this model, which now slots into Boses headphone lineup as a more affordable option to the flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) .

The Bose QC Headphones (gen 2) also bring a range of upgrades over the original pair alongside a price thats the same as, or even a little lower than, the 2017 set, depending on where you live. Read the full story: Bose's mid-range headphones just got their first upgrade in years 3. Grand Theft Autos next teaser will debut on Netflix (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Grand Theft Auto 6 marketing is finally getting into gear. With the game set to arrive on November 19, excitement is high, and Rockstar Games is kicking things off with a Netflix documentary?

This week the developer announced that Netflix subscribers will be able to watch a special Grand Theft Auto 6: An Extended Look video at 3PM ET / 12PM
PT / 8PM BST on August 27. Its not exactly clear what this means, but it sounds like it could be some kind of behind-the-scenes video talking about
the highly anticipated games development.

Its expected to contain at least some new gameplay footage, though, making it a must-watch for eager fans. If youre not a Netflix subscriber, then you dont have to worry about missing out. The developer said that the video will come to YouTube a few hours after it premieres. Read the full story: We could finally be getting the next GTA 6 trailer as Rockstar announces a special 'extended look' 2. Our Garmin Cirqa review dropped, and it's a Whoop-beater (Image credit: Future) We've been wearing the Garmin Cirqa for 10 days now, and it's finally time to give it a score. It beats Whoop in terms of value, and Fitbit Air in terms of features, to land the coveted title of 'best screenless fitness tracker to buy in 2026'. It's generally very accurate when measured against an electrical heart rate monitor, and provides a certainty
in tracking that other screenless wearables don't have thanks to the addition of a tactile start-stop button to sit alongside its automatic activity detection. It's also comfy enough for constant wear. We've got a video review embedded in the article too, so you can see it in action for yourselves. Read our full Garmin Cirqa review 1. We reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) At a glance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is unchanged since its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, but far more than just the name changed. In my review, I found the flagship foldable has a more powerful CPU, lots of AI, better cameras, and overall improved photography.

And this only scratches the surface. Perhaps the most surprising and delightful bit about the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is that it unfolds flat
and the crease is almost gone (mostly thanks to a pair of titanium panels). Overall, it's a great folding phone and is despite the existence of the new Galaxy Z Fold 8 (its wide!) my current favorite folding phone. Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 review Now that youre all caught up on the news, are you ready to take on our news quiz? Follow TechRadar on Google News and add
us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/tech/icymi-heres-the-weeks-7-biggest-tech-news-stori es-from-our-z-fold-8-ultra-review-to-gta-6s-netflix-partnership


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