
New pixel phone. A bunch of new AI models including Gemini’s entry into the music AI space. Everybody is trying to make AI fetch happen in India. And Matthew Ball’s state of the gaming industry report doesn’t paint as gloomy a picture as our own headlines might have suggested this year.
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Megan
We heard you.
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Brian McCullough
Welcome to the Tech Brew Ride home for Wednesday, February 18, 2026. I'm Brian McCullough. Today, new Pixel phone a bunch of.
Megan
New AI models, including Gemini's entry into the music AI space everybody is trying to AI fetch happen in India, and.
Brian McCullough
Matthew Ball's State of the Gaming Industry report doesn't paint as gloomy a picture.
Megan
As our own headlines might have suggested this year. Here's what you missed today in the world of tech.
Brian McCullough
Google this Morning unveiled the $499 Pixel.
Megan
10A, offering the same tensor G4 chip.
Brian McCullough
As the 9a, 8 gigabytes of RAM and an 11% brighter display in 128.
Megan
Gigabyte and 256 gigabyte offerings shipping March 4th. Quoting the Verge Google's mid range Pixels.
Brian McCullough
Have been our top pick for budget Android phones for a while.
Megan
They offer good cameras and most of what you need at a budget friendly.
Brian McCullough
Price, but this year's upgrade feels so minimal I'd liken it more to a Pixel 9a plus or a Pixel 9b.
Megan
The $499 Pixel 10a is supposed to.
Brian McCullough
Be a slightly worse Pixel 10, but.
Megan
It'S more like a slightly better Pixel 10a, and that's a bit of a bumm. Very few of the features that make.
Brian McCullough
The Pixel 10 series compelling trickled down.
Megan
To the 10a this year.
Brian McCullough
You don't get all the good stuff that makes the Pixel 10 series more compelling.
Megan
There's still last year's tensor G4 chip and 8 gigabytes of RAM, which isn't enough to power the more advanced AI features Google launched on the Pixel 10 like Magic Q or Pixel Screenshots, the latter of which debuted on the Pixel 9. Do you care?
Brian McCullough
Maybe not.
Megan
I like Magic Q though, and my guess is that skywalking RAM prices play a role here. It could explain the lack of additional AI features, but I you can't blame RAM prices for what otherwise feels like a more meh update.
Brian McCullough
So what do you get for the Pixel 10a?
Megan
You also get the X SOS satellite communications in case you get lost out in the woods and a bear is chasing you and you need to point your phone at the sky and tell someone that a bear is chasing you and that you need help.
Brian McCullough
The Pixel 10a also borrows a couple of new AI tricks like auto Best.
Megan
Take, not just Best Take, which automatically selects the best picture from a bunch, like the one where everyone in a group shot is facing the camera.
Brian McCullough
This worked well during a quick test at Google's office.
Megan
Similarly, it offers Google's Camera Coach, which walks you through some ideas on how to take the best picture of a subject. I tested this with a fake orchid and the suggestions on how to frame.
Brian McCullough
It were almost certainly better than anything I'd have thought of.
Megan
Because I am not a great photographer and usually just pull out my phone for a quick picture of my kids doing something silly.
Brian McCullough
You'd be hard pressed to spot the.
Megan
Design differences, so I'll lay them out for you Google says it's its most durable Pixel A series phone yet. The display is stronger thanks to the the new Gorilla Glass 7i covering and gets a bit brighter, 11% to 3,000 nits at its peak, like when you're trying to see the screen in the sun. It has the same IP68 waterproofing.
Brian McCullough
The bezel around the screen is slightly.
Megan
Narrower, 10% narrower to be exact. The cameras are all the same as last year, but the 13 megapixel and 48 megapixel sensors on the back now lie fully flush with the frame instead of sticking just a hair above it.
Brian McCullough
Even the colors look similar to last.
Megan
Year, but the Berry color is the best. You won't find that shocking bright color on any other phone, and it's the one you should buy. Other colors include lavender Fog, which is gray, and Obsidian, which is black. Google's also launching Fog and Berry Pixel Buds 2a so you can match the.
Brian McCullough
Pixel 10a also doesn't have Pixel Snap, Google's version of MagSafe that lets you use any magnetic strap on charger or accessory.
Megan
That's a bummer because I love that and I think it should be here.
Brian McCullough
Still, you get a wee bit faster wired and wireless charging.
Megan
Wired charging jumps from 27 watts to 30 and wireless charges at 10 watts instead of 7.5.
Brian McCullough
Pre orders for the 10A begin today and it hits shelves on March 4th.
Megan
It will be available with 128 gigabytes.
Brian McCullough
Or 256 gigabytes of storage.
Megan
A lot of people buy Pixel A series phones for the pure Android experience and frequent updates.
Brian McCullough
I don't think they really care about having every last AI or hardware feature.
Megan
Google makes, but it just doesn't feel like Google brought enough of the Pixel 10 to the Pixel 10a this year. That's why it's more like a 9a 2.0. Also worth noting though, if you're a Pixel Stan, that Google has expanded Quick.
Brian McCullough
Share support with Airdrop to the Pixel.
Megan
9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold. After launching it for the Pixel 10 back in November.
Brian McCullough
Anthropic yesterday launched Claude Sonnet 4.6 with improvements in coding, computer use, instruction following and more.
Megan
It features 1 million token context window it's in beta quoting TechCrunch, Anthropic has.
Brian McCullough
Released a new version of its midsize Sonnet model, keeping pace with the company's four month update cycle.
Megan
In a post announcing the new model, Anthropic emphasized improvements in coding, instruction following and computer use. Sonnet 4.6 will be the default model.
Brian McCullough
For Free and Pro Plan users.
Megan
The beta Release of Sonnet 4.6 will.
Brian McCullough
Include a context window of 1 million tokens, twice the size of the largest.
Megan
Window previously available for Sonnet. Anthropic described the new context window as enough to hold entire code bases, lengthy contracts or dozens of research papers and a single request. Their release comes just two weeks after.
Brian McCullough
The launch of Opus 4.6, with an updated haiku model likely to follow in the coming weeks.
Megan
The launch comes with a new set.
Brian McCullough
Of record benchmark scores, including osworld for computer use and swebench for software engineering, but perhaps the most impressive is its 60.4% score on ARC AGI 2, meant to measure skills specific to human intelligence.
Megan
The score puts Sonnet 4.6 above most.
Brian McCullough
Comparable models, although it still trails models like Opus 4.6, Gemini 3, DeepThink, and.
Megan
One refined version of GPT 5.2.
Brian McCullough
Google has rolled out Lyria 3, a generative music model that can make 30 second tracks, with Nano Banana made cover art into beta in the Gemini app in eight languages.
Megan
Quoting the Verge, Google has given Gemini.
Brian McCullough
The ability to spit out AI generated music courtesy of DeepMind's latest audio model. Beta access to Lyria 3 is rolling.
Megan
Out in the Gemini app, enabling users.
Brian McCullough
To generate 30 second tracks based on text, images and videos without having to.
Megan
Leave the Chatbot window.
Brian McCullough
The new music making tool is available globally starting today in English, German, Spanish.
Megan
French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese, with plans to expand it in the future. Access is limited to Gemini app users who are 18 years or older.
Brian McCullough
Lyria3's text to music capabilities allow Gemini app users to make songs by describing.
Megan
Specific genres, moods or memories, such as asking for an Afrobeat track for my mother about the greatest times we had growing up.
Brian McCullough
The music generator can make instrumental audio and songs with lyrics composed automatically based on user prompts.
Megan
Users can also upload photographs and video references, which Gemiini then uses to generate a track with lyrics that fit the vibe.
Brian McCullough
Gemini will add custom cover art generated.
Megan
By nanobanana to songs created on the app, which aims to make them easier to share and download. Google is also bringing Lyria 3 to.
Brian McCullough
YouTube's DreamTrack tool, which allows creators to.
Megan
Make custom AI soundtracks for shorts.
Brian McCullough
DreamTrack and Lyria were initially demonstrated with the ability to mimic the style and.
Megan
Voice of famous performers.
Brian McCullough
Google says it's been very mindful of.
Megan
Copyright in the development of Lyria 3 and that the tool is designed for.
Brian McCullough
Original expression, not for mimicking existing artists.
Megan
While prompted for a specific artist. Gemini will make a track that shares a similar style or mood, according to Google, and uses filters to check outputs against existing content.
Brian McCullough
Lyria has been around since 2023, but access to the AI music maker was.
Megan
Previously limited to Google Cloud Vertex platform. This expansion to the Gemini app makes.
Brian McCullough
Lyria more accessible, but arrives significantly behind platforms like TikTok and Microsoft's Copilot introducing.
Megan
Their own AI music makers.
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Brian McCullough
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Megan
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Brian McCullough
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Megan
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Brian McCullough
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Megan
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Brian McCullough
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Brian McCullough
For the last couple of days there's been a huge AI impact summit in India that has made a bunch of headlines.
Megan
For example, Nvidia says it is working.
Brian McCullough
With Peak 15, Z47 and other VC firms in India to fund AI startups. More than 4,000 Indian AI startups have.
Megan
Joined its global startup program.
Brian McCullough
Top VC firms in India like Khosla and Accel are set to commit investments.
Megan
From 300 million to 500 million each.
Brian McCullough
Into India's AI ecosystem. Indian IT giant Infosys is partnering with Anthropic to develop AI services for telecom, with plans to expand to finance manufacturing and software development. And Microsoft says it is on pace to invest $50 billion by 2030 to.
Megan
Help expand AI across the global south.
Brian McCullough
After unveiling $17.5 billion worth of AI investments in India in 2025. But it's not just big US money trying to make AI catch fire in India. Quoting Reuters, Adani Enterprises said on Tuesday that it will invest $100 billion to.
Megan
Build renewable powered AI ready data centers by 2035, positioning India as a contender in the global AI race.
Brian McCullough
AI ready data centers would be a critical nerve center of the AI driven environment, and it's natural that large groups with deep pockets will get future read.
Megan
Setting up such data centers, said Ambarish Baliga, an independent market analyst.
Brian McCullough
Top firms including Reliance and Adani Group are moving quickly to capture the vast.
Megan
Opportunities as businesses align themselves with what.
Brian McCullough
Is seen as a major disruptor ahead, he added. Adani said the investment is expected to trigger an additional $150 billion across related industries, including server, manufacturing and sovereign cloud platforms.
Megan
Together, this is projected to create a.
Brian McCullough
$250 billion AI infrastructure ecosystem in India.
Megan
Over the decade, it added. Having been on the periphery AI boom.
Brian McCullough
So far due to the absence of.
Megan
Any significant chip manufacturing capability, data centers represent India's best chance of making a mark on the global stage.
Brian McCullough
The investment will develop a model linking renewable energy, power grid resilience and AI computing, according to Adani. For decades we imported technology, now we.
Megan
Are building the backbone, chairman Gautam Adani said in a post on X. India.
Brian McCullough
Will not follow the AI century. India will shape it.
Megan
The Ports to power conglomerate will build.
Brian McCullough
On its existing 2 GW data center capacity and scale it to 5 GW.
Megan
To create the world's largest integrated data.
Brian McCullough
Center platform, it said, without providing a timeline. Additionally, Adani will invest $55 billion to expand its renewable energy portfolio, which will.
Megan
Include one of the world's largest battery energy storage systems. End quote.
Brian McCullough
Meta has committed to buying millions of.
Megan
Nvidia, Blackwell and Rubin GPUs in a multi year deal. A source says Meta's in house AI AI chip strategy didn't really get off the ground because of various technical challenges, Quoting the FT Nvidia, which for the.
Brian McCullough
Past three years has been the chief.
Megan
Beneficiary of the massive global spending spree on AI infrastructure, is facing increasingly forceful.
Brian McCullough
Moves by its customers to reduce their.
Megan
Dependency on its hardware. Google, Amazon and Microsoft have all announced new in house chips in recent months.
Brian McCullough
While OpenAI has co developed a chip.
Megan
With Broadcom and struck a significant deal with amd.
Brian McCullough
Meta has also invested in developing several.
Megan
AI chips in house. Mark Zuckerberg Zuckerberg has outlined plans to achieve a lower cost of computing by deploying its own processors, which are optimized to the company's unique workloads.
Brian McCullough
According to him, however, the chip strategy had suffered some technical challenges and rollout delays.
Megan
According to one person familiar with the matter. Meta, already a big Nvidia customer, has now committed to buy Nvidia's next generation Vera Rubin chips.
Brian McCullough
It is also the first big tech.
Megan
Group to say it will buy standalone central processing units from Nvidia to run its AI models.
Brian McCullough
The decision by Nvidia chief Jensen Huang.
Megan
To offer its CPUs separately rather than as part of a single integrated product, including its graphics processing units, marks a major shift in its sales strategy.
Brian McCullough
GPUs are capable of the massive parallel processing required for training the biggest AI.
Megan
Models, but tech groups are increasingly shifting toward inference workloads, the process of running AI models. The question of why meta are deploying.
Brian McCullough
Nvidia's CPUs at scale is the most.
Megan
Interesting thing in this announcement, said one analyst. We are in the training era and now we are moving toward more inference era which demands a completely different approach. End Quote.
Brian McCullough
Matthew Ball's State of the Video Game.
Megan
Industry 2026 report is out and despite all of the bad headlines I've reported to you on here about the industry of late, among the numbers, Matt reports.
Brian McCullough
Global video game content sales grew 5.3%.
Megan
Year on year to $195.6 billion in 2025.
Brian McCullough
Job losses across the industry actually fell 40% to only 9,200 people.
Megan
Quoting Gamesindustry Biz, the report noted that while the industry saw three years of growth and a new revenue high in.
Brian McCullough
2025, funding continued to decline.
Megan
There were 40 deals in total in the last three months of 2025, with less than $100 million of pre the industry and over $200 million in early stage funding.
Brian McCullough
Layoffs continued to affect the industry, with.
Megan
9,200 people losing their jobs last year.
Brian McCullough
But this was 40% less than 2024, though the four year total of layoffs.
Megan
Did reach nearly 44,000 people.
Brian McCullough
The report noted an increasing reliance on outside partners for core creative work, including.
Megan
Art, game design and engineering.
Brian McCullough
Outsourcing companies said that 60 to 95%.
Megan
Of work in areas like animation, audio and environmental design could be outsourced. The report also exam worldwide consumer spending on video game content for consoles and PCs.
Brian McCullough
Consumer spending on consoles reached $41.6 billion.
Megan
2.3% above the 41.1 billion in 2020. The report noted that 119% of net.
Brian McCullough
Spending growth since then went to platform.
Megan
Services like PlayStation Plus, Xbox, Game Pass and Nintendo Switch Online.
Brian McCullough
However, total spending on console game sales and transactions was down nearly 11% year.
Megan
On year for PC. Global consumer spending grew 30% since 2020, reaching $40.7 billion in 2025, up from $31.4 billion.
Brian McCullough
China accounts for 20% of global player.
Megan
Spend, with Epelon CEO Matthew Ball suggesting.
Brian McCullough
That if a gamemaker wants to match global growth, they must win China or.
Megan
Grow 1.6 times the market elsewhere. Overall, Chinese publishers have captured roughly half.
Brian McCullough
Of the global growth in player spending since 2019.
Megan
One platform that saw major growth in.
Brian McCullough
2025 was Roblox, becoming the singular video.
Megan
Game market and capturing 67% of net growth.
Brian McCullough
By the end of 2024, Roblox had more daily active users than PlayStation, Switch or Xbox.
Megan
In 2025, this was up another 69%. The platform has also reached over 10.
Brian McCullough
Billion in terms of monthly engagement hours.
Megan
More than Steam, PlayStation and Fortnite combined. Looking ahead, Ball suggests that the five.
Brian McCullough
Biggest revenue growth areas for video games.
Megan
In 2026 will be non core markets, advertising, direct to consumer and alternative payment channels, external development and Roblox. So of course I couldn't resist prompting the new AI music model to come up with a theme song for this podcast with lyrics.
Theme Song Singer
Here you go Long day is over now you're on the ride home Let the traffic fade get lost inside the sound we talk about the headlines and the things that matter yeah we read your stories Help you leave the world behind Unwind your mind Let the chill vibe take control Unwind your mind yeah, we're good for the soul Unwind your mind Let the chill vibe take control.
Yeah, we're good for the soul.
Host: Brian McCullough
Co-host: Megan
This episode of Tech Brew Ride Home delivers a concise but packed summary of today's essential tech news. The main theme is Google's reveal of the Pixel 10a smartphone, but the hosts also deep-dive into AI model launches (from Anthropic and Google), major AI investments in India, Meta’s chip strategy, and Matthew Ball's annual State of the Video Game Industry report. Expect analysis, lightly skeptical opinions, and some playful banter amidst the rapid-fire news.
[00:48 – 04:45]
[05:01 – 06:19]
[06:31 – 08:34]
[10:17 – 12:50]
[13:02 – 14:55]
[14:55 – 17:37]
[18:03 – 18:29]
“Help you leave the world behind / Unwind your mind / Let the chill vibe take control…” [Theme Song 18:03]
The hosts keep things brisk, informed, and conversational with a slight dry humor ("a slightly better Pixel 10a", “Berry color is the best”). The episode moves at the trademark Ride Home quick pace, with headlines analyzed and lightly contextualized for busy listeners who want insights, not just soundbites.
Summary prepared for those seeking an efficient, context-rich catch-up on Feb 18th’s tech headlines.