Google has announced a new partnership with RapidSOS that could end up saving your life. This important partnership will allow Android users to message 911 emergency call centers through Rich Communication Services (RCS). This new feature will begin rolling out later this winter.
As of today, you can communicate with 911 through SMS texting, but only in select locations. It’s only available to about 53% of U.S. emergency responder call centers, and since it’s SMS only, you have all of the usual limitations that come with it.
By using RCS in Google Messages to communicate with emergency call centers, users will be able to see read receipts and typing indicators from first responders. This will eliminate the worry of whether their message actually went through to someone who can help them.
With RCS, you’ll also be able to send high-resolution photos and videos. Doing this in an emergency situation can result in faster aid and a get a more effective response from emergency responders.
Lastly, you’ll also be able to “share your precise location and additional information automatically through Android Emergency Location Service.” This extra detail can include vital information like your spoken language as well as your medical information, which is opt-in. When this extra information is provided, emergency responders will know exactly where to go and get helpful details about you, which is useful when you can’t physically respond.
Through this partnership with RapidSOS, RCS support will roll out to emergency call centers in the U.S. beginning this winter. The service will be made available to every 911 agency in the U.S. at no cost. This is part of Google’s ambitious goal to make RCS the standard for emergency services texting everywhere.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.