The software & developer tools stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A security firm says attackers copied company code and files within minutes of getting in, often before anyone could step in. Here is how, and what to ask.
Read more: Hackers now grab company data within minutes of breaking inAn AI-designed set of proteins stuck to scorpion toxins in lab tests, but experts say that is the easy part and the result is far from a medicine.
Read more: Claude's scorpion antivenom test fell far short of a real drugSymantec found an attack tool that takes over unprotected AI services and runs break-ins on its own, leaving the owner with the bill.
Read more: Hackers are hijacking unprotected AI tools to attack others, and you payBarclays 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 moneyAn Australian court says Apple must allow rival app stores and outside payments on iPhones from March 2027. Apple plans to appeal, so the date could still move.
Read more: Australia orders Apple to let iPhones use rival app storesAt Money20/20, finance firms said the best money tools hide their crypto plumbing, and AI shopping agents will work within limits that buyers can approve.
Read more: Money apps are hiding the crypto and letting you set limits for AI shoppersA Texas report says new AI data centers could push power plant soot and smog pollution back to levels from the 2000s, depending on how they get their electricity.
Read more: AI data centers could push Texas air pollution back to 2000s levelsMastercard unveiled Mastercard Max, an AI assistant that tells cardholders which perks their card offers, so they can use benefits they may be missing.
Read more: Mastercard Launches an AI Helper That Finds Your Unused Card PerksBoeing and Microsoft launched Dataliner, an AI tool meant to flag airplane repairs early, which could mean fewer surprise delays, though savings are unproven.
Read more: Boeing and Microsoft launch AI tool to spot airplane repairs earlyAnthropic's Claude Code can read, edit and test the files in a software project. It needs a paid Claude plan, so check current prices before you plan around it.
Read more: Claude Code is an AI helper that works inside your software projectTwo customers reportedly bring in about a fifth of Anthropic's sales, and they can leave anytime. That matters if you ever think about buying into an AI IPO.
Read more: Two customers bring in about a fifth of Anthropic's salesKlarna and FreshBooks are teaming up so small business customers can split an invoice into payments, with no extra setup for the business owner.
Read more: FreshBooks users can now let customers pay invoices in installmentsSome TV owners are using an AI helper to turn off ads and tracking on their sets. It may help on some models, but it comes with a safety step.
Read more: TV owners use an AI helper to switch off ads and tracking on their setsAnthropic's draft bill would let the government block an AI model only for harm over $1 billion or 50 people, a bar that could miss most real attacks.
Read more: Anthropic's AI Shutdown Plan Would Only Kick In at $1 Billion in HarmUnited's CEO says Starlink Wi-Fi is pulling in flyers loyal to other airlines, and the airline now has a tracker to show which flights have it.
Read more: United says in-flight Starlink Wi-Fi is winning over loyal flyers of rival airlinesMicrosoft built a cleaner Windows 11 for developers, but it needs special hardware. A free script gets close, though it adds coding tools most people don't need.
Read more: Microsoft's clutter-free Windows 11 is only for special developer PCsCareCredit has launched Pay Later, a loan with fixed monthly payments for dental, vision and other care that insurance skips. Here is what to compare before you sign.
Read more: CareCredit adds a fixed-payment loan for health costs insurance skipsWorley linked a smart-contract system to HSBC so approved invoices can start instant bank payments. Here is what businesses should settle before trying it.
Read more: Approved invoices can now trigger bank payments automaticallyAnthropic says its Claude AI flagged 493 security issues in 25 open-source projects, including one that sat unseen for 21 years. Here is why that matters.
Read more: Claude found 493 security flaws in 25 open-source projectsPHP shipped fixes for two critical flaws that could let attackers run code on a web server with no login. Any site running PHP should update.
Read more: PHP fixes two critical flaws that let attackers take over serversA survey of 520 tech leaders finds companies swap AI models freely. The hard part to move is the connections and workflows built around those models.
Read more: Companies swap AI models easily, but the connections built around them stickVisa released fraud tools for business virtual card payments, including spending limits, so owners who pay suppliers this way should know what may soon be offered.
Read more: Visa adds fraud checks for business virtual card paymentsA Linux Foundation survey finds AI cuts coding time by about half, but maintainers say a quarter of incoming code proposals are low-quality junk.
Read more: AI speeds up coding but floods open source projects with junkOpenAI's GPT models are headed to Google's cloud in the coming weeks, so businesses can use them on all three top cloud providers.
Read more: OpenAI's AI models are coming to Google's cloud, too
