FlashFeed

Full text

TL;DR

Motorola’s latest flagship-killer phone will only receive two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates.

The phone has launched with Android 16 and is only guaranteed to receive updates through Android 18.

The short software commitment is a major weakness for a premium phone that costs £700 (~$947) in the UK and otherwise offers flagship-level hardware.

Motorola’s latest flagship-killer phone, the Edge 70 Max , checks almost every box you’d expect from a premium Android device . It packs Qualcomm’s latest flagship chip, a massive silicon-carbon battery, ultra-fast charging, Qi2.2 magnetic wireless charging, and high-end durability features. On paper, it looks like one of Motorola’s strongest value propositions in years.

Unfortunately, there’s one specification that significantly undermines the entire package — software support.

Full text

Anne Ruston called for the party to act with ‘urgency’ after discussion paper suggested ways to improve engagement with women, multicultural communities and young people

Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast

Angus Taylor has hosed down a proposal for the Liberal party to consider introducing gender quotas, while one of his senior shadow cabinet ministers has implored the party to act on such ideas with “urgency”.

After a discussion paper that canvassed the idea was circulated to supporters on Wednesday, the party’s leader said he has never been supportive of quotas – shortly before his deputy, Jane Hume, intervened to say all options would be considered.

Continue reading...

Full text

The Pinwheel Home is aimed at kids aged 5-10 years

It only makes phone calls to approved contacts

There's an optional subscription for calling real numbers

The question of how much time young people should spend on their smartphones and social media has dominated the headlines in recent months, and a new retro-styled phone from Pinwheel is the latest device looking to give parents easier choices.

When we say retro-styled, we don't mean a classic Nokia or a BlackBerry — we mean a landline. The Pinwheel Home (via TechCrunch ) just does calls, and that's it, so there's no chance of your kid getting sucked into Snapchat, Roblox, or YouTube.

It works over Wi-Fi, there are full parental controls built in — so all contacts are pre-approved, and the device can only be used at certain times — and there are absolutely no screens to act as a distraction.

"Pinwheel Home gives kids the freedom to call their friends, make plans, and stay connected, all without borrowing your phone or picking up a screen," explains the official blurb. "You'll be amazed at what they figure out together."

Just the basics

You can get the phone in various colors (Image credit: Pinwheel) The Pinwheel Home is pitched at kids aged 5-10, so while they may be disappointed they can't start Instagramming, it might be enough to delay the need for a smartphone until they're a little bit older.

Being able to chat to friends, grandparents, and other trusted contacts in a safe space is likely to appeal to many kids and their parents, and it might even encourage real-world meet-ups and activities to get youngsters outdoors.

Pre-orders are open in the US right now, with shipping expected later this year: the Pinwheel Home starts at $68 in a choice of two designs and four colors, with subscriptions beginning at $6.99 a month (international pricing is yet to be announced). You can use the devices without a subscription, but only to call other Pinwheel Homes, not mobiles or landlines.

Pinwheel has been around since 2019 and has previously sold Android phones with child-safe software running on them. With increasing restrictions on what kids can do online anyway, the Pinwheel Home could be the ideal first phone for younger children.