The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A small AI on a decade-old PC went from 4 to 11 correct answers out of 13 after getting an offline Wikipedia, a useful trick for private AI on modest hardware.
Read more: Giving a small home AI an offline Wikipedia made it far more accurateSynthesia built a plug-in for ChatGPT that turns documents you already have into marketing videos, giving small teams another option beyond OpenAI's Sora.
Read more: Synthesia's ChatGPT add-on turns your documents into marketing videosThe FBI says North Korean hackers stole a record $6.43 billion from Binance. The same weekly roundup lists dozens of software flaws to patch.
Read more: North Korea behind record $6.43 billion crypto theft from BinanceChatGPT now offers a virtual try-on that shows clothing on a photo of you, a sign that chatbots are becoming a place to shop, not just search.
Read more: ChatGPT can now show how clothes might look on you before you buyMeta's automated web visitors have reportedly burdened small business sites for years, and new terms changes have put the company under fresh scrutiny.
Read more: Meta's web crawlers are straining small business websitesWindows 11 Search can now find and open your Android phone's apps, which could save time if you split your day between a PC and a phone.
Read more: Windows 11 Search can now open your Android phone's appsA $1,400 Galaxy S26 Ultra still ships with apps its owner never wanted. Many can be uninstalled or disabled in a few taps to free space and cut notifications.
Read more: New Samsung Galaxy phones still come with apps you never asked forThe Better Business Bureau expects more political scams as Election Day nears, with fake campaigns and charities going after your money and personal details.
Read more: Better Business Bureau warns of more political scams before Election DayGoogle says developers will be able to build Quick Share into their own apps on Android and iPhone, with a toolkit due in the first half of 2027.
Read more: Google to let other apps build in Quick Share file sendingChrome can now pull order numbers and booking codes from Gmail into web forms, but the Personal Intelligence link behind it may widen how Google uses your data for ads.
Read more: Chrome can now read your Gmail to fill in web forms for youHackers are using fake Cloudflare 'prove you're human' pages on hacked websites to get visitors to run a harmful command on their own computers.
Read more: Fake 'prove you're human' pages trick people into hacking themselvesA researcher showed that a booby-trapped text can knock out an Android phone's cellular service. Google's October update fixes it, but older phones may be left out.
Read more: A single text message can crash some Android phonesA Southern California police department says scammers can fake a local number on your phone, so a caller who looks official may not be real.
Read more: Police warn: scam calls can fake the number of your local policeSouth Africa's new National Opt-Out Registry is free and aims to stop unwanted sales calls, texts and emails, but sign-up may not be fully open yet.
Read more: South Africa launches free registry to stop unwanted sales callsBloomberg's Mark Gurman says Apple plans three new iPads in early 2027, including an OLED iPad Air. These are rumors, but they matter if you are about to buy.
Read more: Apple may release three new iPads in the first half of 2027Walmart has added new AI shopping tools just before the holidays, but details are thin. Here is what is known and what to check in the app before you rely on them.
Read more: Walmart rolls out new AI shopping tools ahead of the holidaysFirefox's new Mini Window pops a page, or part of one, into a small window that stays on top. It is slated to reach regular Firefox on November 10.
Read more: Firefox adds a pop-out window that floats over your other workGoogle's Gemini AI can read your Gmail to summarize and draft replies, often by default. Here is what Google says it does with that data and what you can change.
Read more: Gemini can read your Gmail. Here is how to switch it offGoogle says Videostrong built a hidden backdoor into its Android TV boxes on purpose. The takedown hit 1.3 million devices, and owners cannot fix the boxes themselves.
Read more: Google says a TV box maker sold criminals access to 1.3 million devicesA reviewer tried four replacement home screens for Android and found Hyperion Launcher the fastest, with a $2 upgrade for extras. It suits low-end and midrange phones.
Read more: A free Android launcher app made an older phone feel fasterA new leak says the Galaxy S27 Pro and S27 Ultra will get a brighter Privacy Display that blocks side views, but the cheaper S27 models will not.
Read more: Samsung's next top phones may get a brighter screen that blocks side viewsAsus has released the first Wi-Fi 8 router for $900. It tested well, but the standard is not final and no everyday devices can use it yet.
Read more: First Wi-Fi 8 router is here, and it costs $900Messages on iPhone lets you move apps around in its Plus menu, so your favorites stop hiding at the bottom. Here is how, and what to check before adding more.
Read more: Reorder the apps in your iPhone Messages menu in a few tapsApple's HomeView hub has no App Store, but it can show some iPhone apps, like Spotify, if they already work with CarPlay. Here is what that means.
Read more: Apple's new smart home screen can run Spotify without an App Store
