AI, software, security and the apps you use every day, written for business owners and everyday people. New stories through the day, zero clickbait.
Attackers are stealing Bitcoin and Litecoin from BTCPay Server shops running old software. Anyone who accepts crypto this way should check their version now.
Read more: Hackers are draining crypto from outdated BTCPay Server shopsA Toast survey finds fewer small and midsize retailers use self-checkout this year, a sign the lanes may not save as much as stores hoped.
Read more: More stores are cutting back on self-checkout lanesMural's CEO predicts AI agents could start 5% of cross-border payments within a year, but who pays when software errs is still unsettled.
Read more: Software could soon start sending 1 in 20 international paymentsPhrasly has released a free, no-account tool that tells you whether an image was likely made by AI. The company's accuracy claims have not been checked by outsiders.
Read more: A free tool now checks whether a photo was made by AIFello AI published a guide to ChatGPT credits and their cost. If you pay for ChatGPT, knowing how credits work can keep you from overspending.
Read more: ChatGPT credits explained: what they cost and how they workAndroid Authority reports more people saying Google's Gemini assistant has gotten worse. Here is what that means if you use it on your phone or at work.
Read more: More Google Gemini users say the AI assistant is getting worseApple's Crash Detection can call emergency services after a severe crash on supported iPhones and Apple Watches. A Jalandhar accident has renewed attention on it.
Read more: Your iPhone can call for help after a severe car crash. Check it is onBrookfield and Drax plan a huge AI data center in North Yorkshire, a sign of where the power-hungry AI buildout is heading as Europe hunts for space and energy.
Read more: Brookfield plans a $27 billion AI data center at an English power stationYouTube on Android is again showing "Server Error 400" after Google said it was fixed. Google now admits some people still have the problem.
Read more: YouTube's "Server Error 400" is back on Android, and Google admits itA couple was told they won $850,000 but must first pay about $2,500 in taxes with gift cards. They spotted the scam in time, and the script works on many people.
Read more: A fake $850,000 prize call shows how prize scams hook peopleZalando's new app feature lets AI agents buy from other online stores for you. It starts with one home goods pilot, and the details are still thin.
Read more: Zalando launches an AI that shops for you across other storesWhatsApp is rolling out a feature that offers your newest photo or video when you open a chat. It saves a step, but it can surface things you did not plan to share.
Read more: WhatsApp will suggest your latest photo when you open a chatZomato's new Host Mode hides menu prices from guests, so whoever is paying can treat friends and family without anyone feeling awkward about cost.
Read more: Zomato adds a mode that hides food prices from your dinner guestsChatGPT now chooses which AI model fits your request on its own, so you skip the menu, but you may not see which model answered.
Read more: ChatGPT now picks the right AI brain for each job on its ownMicrosoft says AI agents that work for hours or days need a different computing foundation, and offers three questions to test whether your business is ready.
Read more: Microsoft says AI agents that work for days need new computer systemsAttackers remotely heated fridges and freezers at stores in Belgium, Sweden and Estonia. Older, poorly secured controls were the target, and businesses should check theirs.
Read more: Hackers warm up supermarket fridges across Europe, forcing stores to toss foodSynology says attackers are locking files on its network storage boxes through a flaw that was fixed in December 2024. Devices that never updated are the targets.
Read more: Hackers are locking files on Synology storage boxes that skipped an updateWhatsApp can now show whether you share groups with a stranger and which country their number is from, to help you spot a scam before replying.
Read more: WhatsApp now shows more about strangers who message youFake texts and emails claiming a Royal Mail delivery failed are on the rise as Christmas parcels start moving, and one wrong tap can expose your bank details.
Read more: Fake missed-parcel texts surge before Christmas, UK officials warnCities from Madrid to Malaysia are using AI for traffic, planning and resident questions. Here is what is working and what is still unproven.
Read more: Cities Are Using AI to Run Traffic, Plan Streets and Answer ResidentsApple's new Audio Intelligence tools are in developer beta, letting some Apple Watch models show recent speech as text and summarize talks into notes.
Read more: Apple Watch can now show what someone just said, in beta testingYouTube has updated Playables, its in-app games, so it is easier to find ones that match your device. That could save time for you and your kids.
Read more: YouTube makes it easier to find games that work on your deviceJapan's communications ministry is studying ways to let households shut off all international calls on landlines, as phone scams there cost far more.
Read more: Japan weighs letting homes block all international calls to stop scamsA fake hospital surgeon convinced an 85-year-old Geneva woman her daughter needed emergency surgery. She gave a courier cash and jewelry, and hospitals warn of the same trick.
Read more: Fake surgeon calls Geneva woman, 85, and takes her cash and jewelry
