AI, software, security and the apps you use every day, written for business owners and everyday people. New stories through the day, zero clickbait.
Meta's European ad revenue grew 18% in the third quarter, well below earlier in the year. The slowdown follows a new privacy option, which matters to anyone who advertises there.
Read more: Meta's European ad growth slows sharply after privacy changesAnthropic's new Duet agent app has personal safety limits but no admin tools, so a company cannot switch it off, manage devices or cap spending.
Read more: Claude Duet has no company-wide controls yet, only personal onesA report says Apple is testing a second foldable iPhone that unlocks with your face again, fixing a top complaint about the first model's fingerprint button.
Read more: Apple reportedly testing a foldable iPhone that unlocks with your faceA reviewer took a Galaxy phone offline and hunted it with Samsung Find and Google Find Hub. Neither was reliable, and one sent him over 340 meters off.
Read more: A reviewer hid an offline Samsung phone to test two findersAnthropic's IPO, pitched at a $2 trillion value, has slipped to November amid pushback. A guest critic says the price rests on shaky math.
Read more: Anthropic's planned $2 trillion stock debut faces doubts and a delayEiliko's maker admits its AI robot charm had security flaws, but The Verge says photos and audio were still exposed after the company said access was closed.
Read more: Maker of Eiliko AI robot charm admits security flaws, but gaps remainWired's guide says the 2024 Surface Laptop at $999 beats the 2026 model, which costs over $400 more and was never sent out for independent testing.
Read more: Wired says buy the older Surface Laptop, not the new oneAndroid Authority says Sony quietly removed a workaround that helped imported Xperia phones use 5G, so buyers should check carrier support before ordering from overseas.
Read more: Sony removes a 5G workaround for Xperia phonesMicrosoft is testing an Edge setting that turns off AI running on your own PC, but it does not appear to switch off Copilot or Microsoft's online AI.
Read more: Microsoft tests a switch to turn off some of Edge's built-in AIAndroid Authority has leaked videos of Samsung's Galaxy Fit 4 band in three colors. Price and release date are unknown, so waiting may pay off for budget shoppers.
Read more: Samsung's Galaxy Fit 4 fitness band shown in three colors in leaked videosTesla's CEO says its Optimus humanoid robot must learn by playing, like a toddler. Production has begun, but a useful home or office robot is still a way off.
Read more: Musk says teaching Tesla's Optimus robot is like raising a toddlerGoogle's Pixel Watch has a water drop button that also blocks accidental touches, so your watch stops opening apps or calling people by mistake.
Read more: The Pixel Watch's water drop button also stops accidental touchesSpotify's third quarter showed steady growth and €672 million in operating profit, but revenue landed a hair under what analysts expected.
Read more: Spotify hits 306 million subscribers, but revenue just missesA Tom's Guide writer replaced his cloud chatbot with a free AI agent on his laptop, trading speed for privacy and no usage fees.
Read more: A writer swapped his cloud chatbot for a free AI that runs on his own laptopA Wired reporter wrote a full review on Apple's $1,999 folding iPhone Duo. Light work was doable with a keyboard and kickstand, but a laptop is still safer.
Read more: A reporter worked a full day on Apple's $1,999 folding iPhoneAn analyst expects an OLED MacBook Pro to start $300 to $500 higher, and says rising memory costs are part of the reason. The current model may get cheaper.
Read more: Analyst expects OLED MacBook Pro to cost $300 to $500 moreAI assistants are starting to shop for people and deal with brands directly, and a new survey shows most businesses are uneasy about it.
Read more: AI shopping assistants are starting to deal directly with businessesNvidia's CEO says demand for rented AI computing is huge, but a shortage of money is slowing the firms that supply it, and their stocks are slipping.
Read more: Nvidia's CEO says demand for AI computing is huge, but money is shortMastercard is expanding a program to help European merchants fight card disputes over purchases that were real. Shoppers should check statements first.
Read more: Mastercard rolls out tool to fight card disputes over real purchasesAndroid has free built-in tools that show two apps at once, group browser tabs and float small windows, so you can stop jumping between apps.
Read more: Android phones can run two apps at once, and most people miss itHugging Face released Carbon-X, an open-source AI that answers questions about DNA in plain language and runs on a lab's own computers, keeping patient data private.
Read more: Hugging Face releases free AI that lets scientists "chat with DNA"Barclays plans to cut 5,000 jobs by the end of 2026, and AI-driven savings are part of the reason. Support and software roles take the biggest hit.
Read more: Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs as AI starts to save moneyAndroid Authority says a refurbished Pixel 9 is the best way to beat rising phone prices, and a used phone can cut the cost of an upgrade.
Read more: A refurbished Google Pixel 9 may be the best phone deal this yearAmazon's new Alexa Tablet 12 Pro runs Google software and has a strong display, and Bloomberg's review calls it a winner as an alternative to the iPad.
Read more: Amazon's new Alexa tablet now runs Google apps and wins a rave review
