The software & developer tools stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Attackers hide invisible commands in project files that AI coding assistants read on their own, and reported hijack rates run from 40% to 84%.
Read more: Hidden text in project files can trick AI coding helpers into stealing dataDutch startup Braid raised about $38M so companies can sell mobile data plans under their own brand, which could put new plan offers in apps you already use.
Read more: Dutch startup Braid raises $38M to let any brand sell mobile plansResearchers found a network of 400-plus apps and sites posing as pet photo, language and workout tools that secretly made abusive fake images. Here is what to check.
Read more: Hundreds of ordinary-looking apps hid tools for abusive fake imagesAnthropic says a tampered Claude Code add-on appeared on Cursor's marketplace, and it did not make it. Anyone who installed it should check their copy.
Read more: Fake Claude Code add-on was posted on Cursor's extension storeOpen Camera, a free Android app with no ads, offers more control than Samsung and Google camera apps. One setting unlocks its best tools.
Read more: A free Android camera app gives you cleaner photos than stock appsThe White House declined to hand over key papers on its voluntary AI testing plan, even after agreeing in September to release documents. Here is why that matters.
Read more: White House withholds papers on its voluntary AI safety testing planClaude Code is bundled into the $20 Pro plan, about $17 a month if paid yearly. The Free plan has no access, and Enterprise bills by usage, not a flat fee.
Read more: Claude Code starts at $17 a month, and the Free plan does not include itApple is said to be planning a new iPad Air, iPad Pro and basic iPad for early 2027, which could matter if you are deciding when to buy a tablet.
Read more: Apple reportedly plans three new iPads for early 2027SaaStr says a key vendor's software failed for a full day, and its AI agent built a replacement before the vendor said when it would be fixed.
Read more: A software vendor crashed for a day, so an AI agent replaced itProp 45 promises faster building of housing and clean energy, but critics say data centers could use it to dodge close review and weaken public input.
Read more: California ballot measure could let data centers skip close reviewDeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, has released an early version of a coding helper that works more on its own, aimed at Anthropic's Claude Code.
Read more: DeepSeek releases an early AI coding helper to take on Claude CodeOpenAI plans to merge ChatGPT's Chat and Work modes, and a logo request could soon count against the same allowance as heavy coding work.
Read more: ChatGPT's chat and coding tools will soon share one usage limitWashington Post tests found chatbots pulling midterm voting answers from three obscure AI-built sites, so a quick check with your election office matters.
Read more: AI chatbots lean on three obscure, error-prone sites for voting answersMod AI has launched Mod Seller IQ, which sends homeowners value reports and shows agents who opens them, so expect more of these emails if you own a home.
Read more: New tool helps real estate agents find future home sellers in their contactsWhatsApp no longer works on phones running Android 5.0 or 5.1, and some iPhones face a similar cutoff on November 30, 2026. Check your phone now.
Read more: WhatsApp stops working on phones running Android 5.0 and 5.1Reducto says ChatGPT and Codex can now edit Word and Excel files for free, which could save time for anyone who lives in spreadsheets and documents.
Read more: Reducto adds free Word and Excel editing to ChatGPT and CodexFirefox on Android comes in five versions, and each trades privacy, features and speed differently. A review from How-To Geek explains which one fits which person.
Read more: Firefox for Android comes in five versions, each with its own purposeAnthropic is adding a hidden text watermark to four more Claude models, but on two of them one settings change can switch it off.
Read more: Anthropic marks Claude's text with a hidden pattern, but two models have a gapNorthflank, a hosting platform for developers, says customers' AI keys were used without permission. Anyone with keys stored there could face a surprise bill.
Read more: Hackers stole AI account keys from a hosting company's customersMeta and Chinese robotics firm Fourier built a 106-pound humanoid prototype, and a second version is underway as Meta aims for robots in people's homes.
Read more: Meta built a humanoid robot with a Chinese company, eyeing the homeWealth firm Arca lets AI agents do the background work, but only human advisors can trade or move client money. Here is why that setup matters for your own tools.
Read more: This wealth firm lets AI do the prep work and humans move the moneyGPT Image 2 powers ChatGPT Images 2.0, but a newer model has already replaced it. Anyone paying for AI images should check which version they are using.
Read more: ChatGPT Images 2.0: what it does, what it costs, what came nextSuno now lets you write and generate songs by chatting with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, though the tool is in beta and needs an early-access sign-up.
Read more: Suno lets you make songs inside ChatGPT, Claude and GeminiSecurity firm SpyCloud found sign-in keys for AI coding tools in logs stolen by data-stealing malware, so a password reset after an infection may not be enough.
Read more: Hackers' data-stealing software is also grabbing AI coding tool logins
