Google's Health crisis, Meta's tier-jerker, and the Pope takes on AI

Sony's big TV reveal, a drone that can swim, Call of Duty 4 latest, and more Created for conveniencebigstores.happyshop@blogger.com | Web Version   29 May 2026 CONNECT WITH TECHRADAR  CONNECT WITH TECHRADAR    Great hardware is only ever as good as the software it runs, so it never fails to amaze me how often the big tech firms screw it up. Google is the latest to get it wrong (and not for the first time), replacing the Fitbit app with Google Health and — you guessed it — putting AI front and center of the experience.   Users are up in arms, and I don’t blame them; the new app hides information I could easily find before, and replaces it with an overly chatty and annoyingly chirpy AI fitness coach. Come on, Google — read the room! On the plus side, its new Fitbit Air tracker is pretty good from what we’ve seen of it, but it all feels like a needless misstep.   Fortunately, others fared better this week. Sony unveiled its new RGB mini-LED TVs and a new speaker system, and both impressed us. We also like the look of the new Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 4 — and we've got a whole host of inisder info after talking to the dev team. We have our regular round-up of new movies and shows to stream, and finally, we hope you like our big World Cup competition — take part and you could win a $500 Amazon voucher!   Marc McLaren, Global Editor-in-Chief What happened – this week's biggest stories The big Google Health rollout hasn't quite gone to plan (Google) Fitbit fans are furious over Google Health app update — but the Fitbit Air looks promising A healthy dose of skepticism… The Fitbit app is no more. After this week’s mandatory update rollout, the app has been completely redesigned and rebranded as Google Health — and Fitbit users aren't happy. They've branded the app experience "cluttered", "clunky", and "‘unbelievably bad", with some features like badges and challenges being axed in favor of the new AI health coach.   Google says fixes are incoming for some of the worst-performing features, like the new AI-powered food-logging functionality, but Google has leaned hard into the redesign and AI-forward functions, and there’s no going back now. Coincidentally, we also saw reports this week that Apple's rival AI health coach has been delayed — and if those reports are accurate, Apple's engineers will be no doubt be looking to use the extra time to make sure they get things right.   On the plus side, the new Fitbit Air tracker that Google released alongside the app looks pretty good, based on our early testing. Matt Evans took the new screenless band for a few spins around the block, and found the tracking to be accurate and the AI health coach to be surprisingly helpful — look out for Matt's full review, coming soon. Plus tiers are coming to Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp (Shutterstock) Meta's subscription plans may be the beginning of the end for social media as we know it Pluses and minuses… Meta announced that it's rolling out subscription plans for Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp globally, following initial testing, and adding the obligatory 'Plus' branding to the new tiers. For $3.99 (Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus) or $2.99 (WhatsApp Plus), or the local equivalent, users will get access to extra features, including profile customization and story insights. To say Lance Ulanoff is skeptical about Meta's plans would be an understatement. He thinks this is the worst thing to happen to social media since the dislike button, and quite possibly "the beginning of the end for social media as we know it". Lance points to the example of streaming services, which have been splitting their offerings into more and more tiers, with users given the choice of paying ever more for a given level of service, or being bombarded with ads as a trade-off for keeping their bills down. And he notes that while that 'Plus' moniker suggests subscribers are getting more, "somehow it's almost always a harbinger of less". What else? More of this week's tech news The Sony Bravia 7 II (left) and the Sony Bravia 9 II (Future) Sony's new TVs bring cinema-quality visuals into your living room — and it's got the sound covered too Sony produced an audiovisual treat for us this week, unveiling not only its most anticipated TVs in years, but also a unique new wireless speaker system. The TVs are the Sony Bravia 9 II and Bravia 7 II, and they use next-gen RGB LED lighting — Sony has been teasing this tech for years, and now we’ve finally seen the TVs that use it, and where they sit in Sony’s 2026 TV lineup.   Matt Bolton got a first look at the TVs at Sony's launch event, and the star of the show was the higher-end Bravia 9 II. Sony’s pitch for this model is that it wants to bring ‘reference’ quality visuals into the home, and to that end it showed off the new TV in a comparison with one of its specialist monitors used in film production — and the new TV looks like the closest we’ve seen so far. This TV could really be something special.   Sony’s new speaker system is notable because it combines a tiny soundbar unit with powerful separate left and right speakers. The idea is to create a much broader sound than a single soundbar can manage, but still with all the convenience and wireless setup of a soundbar. It’s especially good for really big TVs — and Sony is also making it expandable into a full Dolby Atmos surround system. Get caught up — the rest of this week's tech news in 30 seconds iOS 27 is tipped to get 3 big upgrades at WWDC — here's what to expect   Roku is rolling out a huge free upgrade to the Home Screen   Legendary ex-Apple designer Jony Ive has fashioned Ferrari’s first electric car   PSA: your Wi-Fi router is extremely vulnerable to being hacked   Those reports about LG closing its TV business are bogus, LG tells TechRadar   Finally! Sonos has rolled out an app update that might be the magic bullet we wanted The Oura Ring 5 is here, and it's being touted as 'the world's smallest smart ring'    The UK’s social media ban is progressing — but here’s what we could see instead What we're talking about "The notion of tech neutrality and trust is not novel to AI" (Getty Images) AI is changing everything as we know it, but Pope Leo XIV says it's just a reflection of us The death of the deep dive... When Google announced its AI-powered overhaul of Search, it sparked fears about what the future of the internet could look like. With deeper Gemini integration, AI-generated summaries and agents designed to complete tasks for you, critics worry Google increasingly wants to do the thinking for you. In fact, our very own Josephine Watson said it was "the worst thing to happen to the internet since social media". It might seem natural to point the finger at AI for our internet woes, but the Catholic Church thinks the issue is far more human than technological. In a message seemingly aimed at big tech, Pope Leo XIV warned that AI could create "new forms of dehumanization" if left unchecked. He argued that "technology is never neutral", as it reflects the values and decisions of the handful of companies who create and control it. Amen to that.  More from the water cooler… Insta360 says 'we're not going to compete on price' with DJI's rival vlogging camera   Tom Bedford isn't convinced earbuds need touchscreen cases    Eric Hal Schwartz tried using ChatGPT to recreate his 1990s childhood for his kid   A new (unofficial) speed record of 453mph was set by a custom drone   This streaming start-up wants to put album-listening back on the map What we've tested The HoverAir Aqua is just as at home in the water as it is in the air (Future) The HoverAir Aqua drone is here to capture your adventures on the water Have you ever been out on your paddle-board and thought "I wish I could shoot a drone video of myself paddle-boarding?" Well now you can, courtesy of the The HoverAir Aqua, aka the world's first waterproof camera drone. It's a genuinely innovative machine that has no real competition, and Sam Kieldsen says it's "practically a must-buy" for surfers, kayakers, and other watersports fans. Staying with the nautical theme, Hamish Hector took the GoPro Mission 1 Pro action came down to the beach and into the sea, to see how well it could handle water, sand, and the extreme temperatures of the UK's recent heatwave. More from the TechRadar test bench…    Trying to decide between JBL’s Go 4 or 5 speakers? Harry Padoan has tested both   We’ve penned our full review of reMarkable’s cheapest writing tablet   Tim Coleman celebrated 25 years of Lumix by testing the first ever mirrorless camera   Xiaomi already makes one of the best sub-flagship phones, and the 17T Pro is even better   That flagship feeling… Ready for a phone upgrade and looking to go premium? While they may look increasingly similar, under the hood all flagships are not the same, and Alex Metz is here to guide you through the mobile minefield of Pluses, Maxes and Ultras. Check out the video below, in which Axel compares the latest high-end handsets from Apple, Samsung, Google and the major Chinese brands.  What we're playing Duty calls, again (Activsion) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to reinvent the FPS series Hunker down… Because war just broke out on the Korean Peninsula, and you're headed to the front lines in the next Call of Duty game. The newly revealed Modern Warfare 4 is being positioned as something of a fresh start for the long-running franchise, with plenty of meaningful technical innovation under the hood.   We spoke with developer Infinity Ward about the big changes to the game's mechanics, including its overhauled movement system, and how it's balanced for both you and whoever's shooting at you. We also broke down how the game will deliver the most advanced weapon simulation in Call of Duty history, and explored its focus on art direction, with the team promising more "gritty" characters and a Mil-Sim aesthetic.   If stealth and subterfuge are more of your style than open combat, this week also saw the release of 007 First Light. Amelia Schwanke says it's the next best thing to starring in a Bond film, with a story and action worthy of a true blockbuster, and a range of global locations to explore.   More from the TechRadar Gaming team…   The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting a surprise third expansion called Songs of the Past   Fans mourned what would have been Grand Theft Auto 6's launch date on May 26   007 First Light features a weird cameo of an internet star who went viral years ago   Developer Bungie is trying to save Marathon's dwindling player count with a free-to-play trial What to try: tips, hacks and our favorite new products Take the guesswork out of outdoor cooking (Brisk It) Smart BBQs, repurposing old Android devices, and a life-saving iPhone feature Hosting this weekend? Ruth Hamilton loves these 12 smart BBQs for hands-off cooking   Tom Bedford turned his old Android phones into 5G routers, power banks and more   This little-known iPhone feature saved someone’s life — here’s how to turn it on   We love Duolingo, but this AI language learning app is much more practical   Try freeing up storage space on your Android phone with these two built-in tools   When it comes to the World Cup, James Davidson recommends only one type of TV   Are you using your fan properly? Cat Ellis has three tips to help cool down your home   This new e-ink device looks like a Kindle with a keyboard What's on – the week in entertainment Renate Reinsve finds herself cornered in Backrooms (A24) Backrooms is the perfect adaptation of the creepypasta, and a first look at X-Men 97 season 2 “A perfect adaptation of its creepypasta source material” — that’s what Lucy Buglass had to say in her review of Backrooms, aka A24’s movie adaptation of the viral internet horror folktale. Lucy’s colleague Tom Power sat down with its director Kane Parsons ahead of the launch, too, to pick his brains on why some film and TV adaptations fail, and Hollywood’s recent obsession with YouTube horror filmmakers, of which Parsons is one.   Elsewhere, Marvel finally revealed the launch date and first trailer for X-Men 97 season 2, Jasmine Valentine answered your biggest queries about The Testaments season 1 finale, and Tom also chatted to Widow’s Bay guest star Hamish Linklater about his small but significant role in the new Apple TV show. A busy week all around, then!   If you’re looking for something to watch at home this weekend, our weekly streaming round-up feature our picks of the best movies and shows to peruse, including the Nicolas Cage-starring Spider-Noir on Prime Video, and Scream 7 on Paramount+. TechRadar on TikTok This week, we reviewed the new GoPro Mission 1 camera, took the Xiaomi 17T Pro to Vienna, and spoke to Roku about its Home Screen overhaul. Make sure to follow TechRadar on TikTok for more! What you think – this week's poll Will you buy the new Oura Ring 5? Yes, absolutely - sounds like the upgrade I've been waiting for! Maybe, I'll wait to see what the reviews say Not right now, the price jump is too much Follow TechRadar Contact Us: Feedback | Advertise Sign Up | Update Profile | Unsubscribe Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms and Conditions When you purchase through links in our content, we may earn an affiliate commission.   © Future Publishing Limited. Reg No. 2008885 England. Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA.