AI, software, security and the apps you use every day, written for business owners and everyday people. New stories through the day, zero clickbait.
A developer says code inside the hit phone game Block Blast is built to make players lose, and that ads drive its millions in revenue. Here is what is known.
Read more: A developer took apart Block Blast to see if the game is riggedGoogle's new Motion Assist setting in Android 17 helped one writer with motion sickness look at her Pixel 10 in moving vehicles again. Here is how it works.
Read more: A new Android setting helped a writer use her phone in cars againEarly owners of Apple's $2,000 iPhone Duo report inner screens cracking at the hinge. If you bought one, you have 14 days to return it.
Read more: New $2,000 folding iPhone Duo is cracking at the hinge for early buyersThe new iPhone Duo uses a fingerprint button, not Face ID. A recent Apple Watch can unlock it for you instead, with no touch needed.
Read more: You can unlock the new iPhone Duo with your Apple WatchWhatsApp is bringing back the short text line that tells contacts where you are, after users said they missed it. It now lives in your About section.
Read more: WhatsApp brings back the simple text Status after users complainedWhatsApp has built-in tools that quiet unknown callers, flag strangers and lock your account, and a few minutes in settings can keep scammers out.
Read more: WhatsApp has built-in tools to help you spot and stop scammersAndroid has been adding your SIM's phone number to every Google account on the phone, work accounts included. You can turn it off, but there are trade-offs.
Read more: Android now adds your phone number to every Google account on itOpenAI added Canvas to ChatGPT, a side window that lets paying users edit one part of a draft or code at a time instead of starting over.
Read more: ChatGPT gets a new editing window for writing and codingMacOS 27 adds a keyboard shortcut that opens an Ask Siri box, so you can ask about a photo, a document or an unknown file without searching the web.
Read more: A new Mac shortcut lets you ask Siri about anything on your screenApple's latest iPhone test version adds a ChatGPT Plus upgrade button, and free ChatGPT now has a daily limit. Here is what the $19.99 tier adds.
Read more: iPhone beta now lets you upgrade to ChatGPT Plus in SettingsAlpha School says its AI-led classes teach kids twice as fast. A New York Times look finds high scores, but about half of K-8 students missed the goal in math.
Read more: Alpha School says AI teaches kids twice as fast, but data is mixedA free, open-source Android app called Circle to Search brings back Share and Save and sends only the part of the screen you circle, not the whole thing.
Read more: Free Android app brings back the old, simpler Circle to SearchYouTube plans to adopt a new video format called AV2, which could mean faster loading and less mobile data use as soon as early 2027.
Read more: YouTube videos could look sharper and stall less by early 2027Google's pledge to keep Gmail and Photos out of ad targeting now has an exception if you use its opt-in AI search tool, Personal Intelligence.
Read more: Google's ad privacy promise now has an exception for its AI searchNvidia's Shield TV Pro now costs $300, and a reviewer says the pricier new Apple TV 4K is still the better streaming box for most people.
Read more: Even at a higher price, Apple TV 4K still beats Nvidia's Shield TV ProCapcom says an outsider got into Capcom ID and affected 11.7 million users. The main risk now is fake emails that pretend to be the company.
Read more: Capcom breach exposes emails of 11.7 million game accountsOpenAI's new ChatGPT app for Mac kept chats in unprotected plain text. A fix is out, and Mac users need to install it.
Read more: ChatGPT's Mac app saved your chats in plain, unprotected textA paid search ad mistake reportedly ran for three months before anyone caught it, a reminder for any business that pays for online ads.
Read more: An ad campaign mistake went unnoticed for three monthsMany TVs get faster speeds over Wi-Fi than over their cable port, but a cable avoids buffering from weak or crowded signals. Here is when it is worth the trouble.
Read more: Wi-Fi is often faster for your TV, but a cable is steadierTheater Mode darkens your Apple Watch and mutes it, but still taps your wrist for alerts, so you stay reachable in meetings, movies and dinners.
Read more: Theater Mode keeps your Apple Watch quiet but still buzzingA new AI agent was reportedly built to take over AI models left open online and run up to 100,000 steps alone. Businesses using AI tools should check their setup.
Read more: AI program built to take over exposed AI systems and run on its ownSlack's latest update turns meeting notes into Salesforce tasks and lets AI assistants manage lists, but some features depend on your plan.
Read more: Slack adds AI helpers that take over meeting notes and busyworkAn old laptop can run your home network, store backups or act as a second screen, saving money and taking load off your main computer.
Read more: Four useful jobs for the old laptop sitting in your drawerIndia's telecom department wants messaging apps tied to an active SIM or eSIM from January 1, 2027, so chats could stop if your number goes inactive.
Read more: India may require an active SIM card to use WhatsApp from 2027
