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20 Feb 2026

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'Very strange': Auckland councillors' mixed reaction to government's housing backdown
The Housing Minister says the number of homes Auckland must plan for will be reduced, but only if the central government approves the council's plan.

Only $579! Acer’s RTX 5050 laptop with 16GB RAM is hard to beat
What’s the best gaming laptop you can get for under $600? Normally, you’d be looking at tight specs and cut corners that result in a weak machine that’s barely capable of anything. Today, you can get an Acer Nitro V for just $579 thanks to a massive $350 discount at...

Ring denies being ‘mass surveillance’ but AI dog tracking will continue
Ring’s been in damage-control mode ever since its now-infamous “lost dog” Super Bowl ad, furiously spinning the sinister imagery of digital “bounding boxes” locking in on a wayward pooch and a simulated aerial view of dozens of homes scanning the neighborhood. Rather than giving off warm fuzzies—your Ring camera can help find lost dogs!—the Super Bowl ad gave off serious “big brother” vibes...

Selector raises USD $32m to boost AI observability push
Selector raises USD $32m at a USD $375m valuation to expand its AI-driven observability platform and accelerate global enterprise growth.

More than half of police force considering quitting - union survey
But Police bosses say 57 percent of officers having considered quitting in the last year is not a pressure point that can be used in pay negotiations.

Landlords, tenants grapple with new pet rules
A Christchurch woman whose landlord tried to end her tenancy has been told she needs to improve the state of the house, but she's allowed to keep her cat.

MSD claw backs will 'financially cripple' state abuse survivors, advocate says
The coalition, with Labour's support, is changing the law so the Ministry of Social Development can legally claw back payments once someone has been backpaid for an ACC claim.

Indian-owned Hundred teams 'not considering Pakistan players'
Four sides in The Hundred with links to the IPL are not expected to sign players from Pakistan in next month's auction.

This NZXT SFF case is CUTE
Confession: I’ve never built a small form factor case. The ittiest of bitty computers that I’ve assembled is a mere MicroATX. But SFF builds have always appealed to me. There’s something about tons of power concealed in a tiny package, a Muggsy Bogues factor, that has an undeniable draw. Take...

Gemini can now create AI music
Google is launching music generation in its Gemini app via the new Lyria 3 model developed by Google Deepmind. The feature is in beta and allows you to create 30-second pieces of music based on text prompts and/or uploaded images and videos, says the announcement post. For example, you can describe...

Fleets test AI as ageing vehicles drive up costs
Fleet operators cautiously trial AI to tame rising costs as ageing vehicles and maintenance bottlenecks drive up downtime and service spend.

Couple trapped in Argentina with no legal rights to biological child
An Australian couple had a child via surrogacy in Argentina. They have been stuck there for 12 months, unable to bring their daughter home.

18-year-old Kishan Patel fatally crushed by car while changing oil, coroner finds
A coroner says Kishan Patel's accidental death highlights the risks of undertaking maintenance beneath a raised vehicle without appropriate safety precautions.

Hicks Bay businesses fear for survival after being cut off for weeks of peak tourist season
Hicks Bay locals have been cut off for weeks of the peak tourism season and are still facing a major clean up.

How Szoboszlai became Liverpool's key man
Inside the Hungarian midfielder's season as the main character at Liverpool, his friendship with Mohamed Salah and why the Reds are keen to extend his contract.