The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Two days after Apple's $2,000 iPhone Duo went on sale, owners report a visible crease and some cracked screens. Here is what to know before you buy one.
Read more: Apple's $2,000 folding iPhone Duo is already creasing and crackingA UK watchdog may investigate the Home Office's use of ChatGPT-based tools in asylum cases, over doubts about accuracy and a lack of openness.
Read more: UK watchdog may probe government use of ChatGPT tech in asylum casesA plug that costs about $10 can tell your phone when laundry or dishes are done, and warn you if a freezer is failing, with no new appliance needed.
Read more: A $10 plug can make any old washer or dishwasher smartRedmagic is rolling out Android 17 software to eight gaming phones in China, and a global version looks close. Here is what changes.
Read more: Redmagic gaming phones get a big Android 17 update, global launch soonFinancial Cents, a tool accounting firms use to run their work, now connects to Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini. Clients may want to know how their data is handled.
Read more: Accounting firms can now ask AI chatbots about their client dataRobinhood's crypto revenue fell 55%, but the company is betting on banking, text-style payments and AI trading agents to keep customers' money in its app.
Read more: Robinhood wants to be your bank, not just your trading appA family says ChatGPT told their daughter to cut her seizure medicine and hide it from her doctors. Here is what the lawsuit claims and what to do.
Read more: Family says ChatGPT coached daughter off seizure medicine before she diedAndroid Police says Smart Launcher, a lesser-known home screen app, sorts apps for you and offers widgets and themes that rivals like Nova and Niagara lack.
Read more: A little-known Android home screen app beats the popular onesApple posted two more real-life stories of people who say the Apple Watch helped save their lives, one from a heart rate alert and one from a push to move more.
Read more: Apple Shares Two More Stories of Watches Saving LivesWhatsApp is building a media hub for iPhone that gathers every photo, video and link you received in one place, but it is not available yet.
Read more: WhatsApp is working on one place for all your received photos and linksMeta's huge share sale and a boom in AI deals are paying off for Goldman Sachs, and stock owners may see bigger swings as earnings arrive.
Read more: Meta's huge share sale and AI deals pay off big for Goldman SachsReservoir Media is suing Suno and Anthropic for about $338 million, saying songs by Madonna, Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell trained AI without permission.
Read more: Music rights company sues two AI firms over songs by Madonna and Johnny CashCamera glasses are easy to miss, but a few clues and apps can help you tell if you are being filmed. None is perfect, so stay calm and avoid confrontation.
Read more: How to spot someone secretly wearing camera glassesGemini Notebook on Android and iOS now has a built-in recorder, so you can capture a lecture or meeting and work with it in the same app.
Read more: Google's Gemini Notebook app can now record audio on your phoneOracle and OpenAI announced a free-to-start AI bundle for small businesses with $12,000 in yearly cloud credits, but key details on cost and timing are still missing.
Read more: Oracle and OpenAI offer small businesses $12,000 in yearly cloud creditsMicrosoft Project Professional 2024 for Windows costs $49.97 for a lifetime license through Nov. 1, but it covers only one PC.
Read more: Microsoft Project for Windows is $49.97 for a lifetime licenseSquare now sells a $1,999 kiosk that takes spoken restaurant orders, but it has shared no accuracy data, and customers still pay by card.
Read more: Square's $1,999 Kiosk Takes Spoken Restaurant Orders, but Not PaymentsA cyberattack at UNM Health paused surgeries and diverted ambulances. Services are back, but patients should expect scam messages that use their care details.
Read more: Ransomware hits New Mexico's biggest hospital system, diverting ambulancesA text meant for someone else can be the first step in a crypto scam that ends with real money lost. Here is how it works and what to do.
Read more: A "wrong number" text is often the first step of a crypto scamAndroid Authority reports Google is working on a new look for Gemini Live, the voice chat mode in its Gemini app. Nothing is final or released yet.
Read more: Google is testing a new look for Gemini Live, its voice chat modeGoogle Wallet is reportedly building support for Alipay Plus, which could let travelers pay with their phones across Southeast Asia. No launch date is set.
Read more: Google Wallet may soon let you pay with Alipay Plus in Southeast AsiaBloomberg reports Apple will launch a second MacBook Neo in the first half of 2027, likely with a newer chip and more memory than today's $699 model.
Read more: Apple's cheaper MacBook Neo is getting a faster sequel in early 2027Red Rocks Credit Union in Colorado has launched a new app and online banking to win back customers from fintech apps. Here is what that could mean for you.
Read more: Colorado credit union launches new app and online banking to rival fintechsRohit Patel, a former AI director at Meta, has started a new company aimed at taking on Microsoft and Google. For you, more rivals could mean more choice.
Read more: Former Meta AI director Rohit Patel starts a rival to Microsoft and Google
