The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
A leaker says Samsung must choose between a bigger Galaxy Z Fold 9 and a cheaper one with weaker hardware. Buyers waiting on a price drop may want to watch.
Read more: Samsung weighs a bigger or a cheaper foldable phone for 2027WhatsApp is rolling out optional usernames, so customers can message a business without showing their phone number. Businesses need tools that can cope.
Read more: WhatsApp users can now hide their phone number from businessesApple says its new Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 will get Siri Recap and Live Rewind later this year. Both listen to conversations around you, so privacy matters.
Read more: New Apple Watches will soon summarize your conversations and replay speechAmazon's new Echo Show 16 is a smart display with built-in Fire TV, but the screen, stand and Alexa+ can push the total close to $695.
Read more: Amazon's new 16-inch Echo Show is also a small TV, from $499.99WhatsApp is rolling out a new backup screen on Android and iPhone. Chat backups decide whether your messages and photos survive a lost or new phone.
Read more: WhatsApp changes how chat backups look on Android and iPhoneSamsung's built-in browser lets you choose up to six toolbar buttons from over 30 options, while Chrome offers one shortcut slot. Here is how to set it up.
Read more: Samsung's phone browser lets you pick your own toolbar buttonsNumeracle, which verifies businesses so carriers stop flagging their calls as spam, raised $28 million and says it became profitable this year.
Read more: Numeracle raises $28M to stop real business calls being flagged as spamSamsung's first clip-style earbuds, the Galaxy Buds On, reach U.S. stores Nov. 6 for $229. They are built to keep your ears open to the world around you.
Read more: Samsung's first clip-on earbuds hit U.S. stores Nov. 6 for $229TikTok has launched Must Eat, an in-app restaurant guide built on 40 million dining posts, taking aim at Yelp and Google Maps in three US regions.
Read more: TikTok launches Must Eat, a restaurant guide to rival Yelp and Google MapsFake UPS texts and emails claim a delivery failed and ask you to tap a link. The goal is to get your card or personal details, so check your package yourself.
Read more: Fake UPS texts ask you to reschedule a delivery. Don't tapA basic motion sensor can dim hallway lights at night, read a morning briefing and warn you when mail arrives, with one catch.
Read more: A cheap motion sensor can do much more than switch on a lightPrada has launched a ChatGPT tool in the UK, US and Italy that lets shoppers explore products and find stores by chatting, a possible shift away from search bars.
Read more: Prada lets shoppers browse its luxury products by chatting with ChatGPTPixel Watch owners say their battery suddenly empties much faster, and it is not limited to the newest model. Here is what is known and what to check.
Read more: Pixel Watch owners report sudden, severe battery drainJapanese researchers built a phone-connected sensor that finds PFAS in water at tiny levels, but it is still a prototype and not something you can buy.
Read more: Phone-linked sensor can spot 'forever chemicals' in waterAmazon is rebuilding the Alexa Home Map as a 3D model of your house and yard, with Ring cameras showing people and cars moving outside.
Read more: Alexa's home map becomes a live 3D model of your house and yardiOS 27 keeps your Siri chats forever by default. Five quick settings changes can limit that, cut pop-ups and make the screen easier to read.
Read more: Five iOS 27 settings worth changing right after you updateAmazon's first digital photo frame uses Alexa to pick and group pictures from Amazon Photos. It costs $199 and has a microphone built in.
Read more: Amazon's first digital photo frame picks your best family photos for youAmazon's new Echo Studio can watch your home like a nanny cam, and the new Echo Dot can act as a smart home hub and a Wi-Fi extender.
Read more: Amazon's new Echo speakers can watch your home and boost your Wi-FiSK Hynix, a key Apple chip supplier, says memory shortages will likely last through at least 2030, so phones and laptops with lots of storage may stay pricey.
Read more: Memory chip shortage could keep device prices high through 2030A How-To Geek writer says Claude can read a free app's public code and flag danger before you install it. Here is how the method works and its limits.
Read more: You can ask an AI to check free software for danger before you install itShiftCam's ProRig+ adds physical focus, zoom and shutter controls to an iPhone filming rig. It starts at $159 on Kickstarter, with delivery estimated from December 2026.
Read more: New iPhone filming rig adds real buttons for focus, zoom and shutterCode in Apple's next Mac software shows five iPhone-style pill designs, hinting the new MacBook Pro will replace its camera notch with a Dynamic Island.
Read more: Hidden code hints the next MacBook Pro will get an iPhone-style pillMacPaw's new AI assistant for Mac and iPhone offers a free 14-day trial, then charges a monthly fee based on AI credits.
Read more: MacPaw launches Eney, an AI helper that asks before it actsIndia's cyber agency says older Apple software has serious flaws. Apple already released fixes on October 26, and installing them is free.
Read more: India's government tells Apple users to update their devices now
