The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Apple announced an OLED MacBook Pro, an OLED iPad mini and an M6 iMac. The OLED laptops cost $400 more than comparable older screens.
Read more: Apple unveils OLED MacBook Pro, a new iPad mini and an M6 iMacGoogle's Pixel 6 and 6 Pro set the look and tools of today's Pixels, but a retrospective says early buyers dealt with heat, slow unlocking and weak signal.
Read more: Google's Pixel 6 looked great but gave early buyers real headachesA London court backed the UK regulator Ofcom against Meta, TikTok and X, so the companies must keep answering questions about online safety.
Read more: UK court rules Meta, TikTok and X must answer regulator's questionsGoogle is urging Gmail users to run its free Security Checkup, which shows who and what can get into your inbox. It takes about two minutes.
Read more: Check who can get into your Gmail inbox in about two minutesOpenAI says ChatGPT ads now run in 89 countries, with a wider ad card on desktop and multi-image ads open to every advertiser. Online sellers should take note.
Read more: ChatGPT ads now run in 89 countries and get a wider lookYouTube is testing a change that could leave you subscribed to channels with nothing to watch on them, so an empty channel may not mean the creator quit.
Read more: YouTube test could make some channels you follow look emptyA four-line prepaid plan from Cricket Wireless costs $100 a month with taxes and fees included. A mid-tier postpaid plan runs $160 to $180 before them.
Read more: Four phone lines on prepaid can cost $60 to $80 less each monthGemini Notebook can use your Google Drive files as sources and answer questions from them, so you can stop digging through folders for one detail.
Read more: Gemini Notebook can turn your Google Drive files into a question-and-answer librarySecurity researchers found 319 Chrome add-ons that quietly changed users' search settings and sent searches through their own servers to earn ad money.
Read more: 319 Chrome add-ons secretly rerouted users' searches to earn ad moneyDutch police say AI-made bank calls tricked 170 people into letting their cards be copied, and the lesson applies to anyone who gets an urgent call.
Read more: AI phone calls helped a gang drain $423,114 from bank customersA 77-year-old caregiver in Arizona says a $3 local ride service replaced $30 to $40 Uber trips and saves her family as much as $400 a month.
Read more: A $3 ride service cut one couple's $500 monthly Uber billAn Android Police writer tried to drop Chrome and came back, citing passwords, laptop syncing, read-aloud and Gemini. Here is what you may lose by switching.
Read more: A writer tried to quit Chrome on Android and gave upFlaws in the networks that connect phone carriers let attackers track you and redirect your text codes without ever touching your phone.
Read more: Hackers can track your phone and read your texts without touching itiOS 27.2 adds Apple TV 4K remotes to the Find My app, so a remote lost in the couch no longer means an automatic trip to buy a new one.
Read more: Lost your Apple TV remote? Your iPhone can now help find itA new report warns that AI-cloned voices and fake video calls are being used to impersonate bosses and trick staff into sending money. Here is what to know.
Read more: Fake video calls from the boss are a growing fraud risk for firmsPolitical campaigns are exempt from the Do Not Call list, but the FCC says you can still cut down on their texts with a few simple steps before Election Day.
Read more: You can stop political texts, but campaign calls may not stopIndia's Supreme Court says banks should be held responsible for fraud losses caused by weak security, which could mean stronger checks and better odds of getting money back.
Read more: India's top court says banks should repay customers hit by online fraudPolice say a Bucks County man lost over $17,000 after a dating app match, a fake deputy's calls and a used credit card. Here is what to watch for.
Read more: Man loses over $17,000 after meeting a woman on a dating appChatGPT now has a Try On button that shows outfits on a photo of your own body, which could cut online returns but means sharing a picture of yourself.
Read more: ChatGPT Can Now Show How Clothes Look on You Before You BuyLocal Code, from the makers of Draw Things, lets Mac owners run an AI assistant on their own machine for free, keeping files off outside servers.
Read more: Free Mac app runs an AI assistant on your own computeriPadOS 27.2 puts a small Siri helper next to selected text and adds viewer profiles to the Apple TV app, which helps anyone who shares an iPad.
Read more: iPad update adds a quick Siri helper and viewer profilesSamsung phones show a green dot when an app uses your camera or mic. One UI 9 adds a blue dot for location, and a settings page shows which apps used what.
Read more: What the green and blue dots on your Samsung phone meanViture's $599 Phantom Beast glasses, tied to the game Phantom Blade Zero, put a huge virtual screen on your face. Some devices need extra gear.
Read more: Phantom Blade Zero game gets its own $599 smart glassesApple's HomePod mini 2 is on sale today for $149 in the U.S., which is $20 more than the old model cost after a June price rise.
Read more: Apple's new HomePod mini 2 speaker is in stores today at $149
