The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Samsung plans to lock some apps on kids' phones until a parent approves them, which gives families more control and more to manage.
Read more: Samsung will lock kids out of some apps until a parent says yesRhode Island is suing Meta, saying the company made money from scam ads on its platforms. Fake ads in your feed can cost you real money.
Read more: Rhode Island Sues Meta Over Money Made From Scam AdsCounterpoint Research says new iPhone 18 Pro sales fell in the US and Japan but jumped in China, lifting global sales 3.1% in the first three weeks.
Read more: New iPhone Pro sells worse in the US and Japan, but China picks up the slackGoogle has opened enrollment for a program built around one-tap installs of app stores, which could give Android users simpler choices for getting apps.
Read more: Android starts sign-up for easier installs from other app storesA Thetford surgery says an automated call about 'updating your GP records' is not from its team. Hang up and check before sharing any details.
Read more: Surgery warns patients about robocalls claiming to update GP recordsThe viral Minion routers can still be sold and used in the US, but a new US ban on foreign routers makes a newer model unlikely to arrive soon.
Read more: Minion-shaped Wi-Fi routers are caught in a US ban on foreign routersAn Android Police writer nearly skipped the Pixel 11, but its Magic Capture camera feature won him over. The base model is listed at $749, down from $899.
Read more: A Pixel 11 skeptic is coming around, thanks to one camera trickThree paid Android apps have free builds on GitHub or F-Droid, which can save $3.99 to $69.99 each if you can handle a little setup.
Read more: Three paid Android apps are free if you skip the Play StoreGoogle is adding new checks for Android apps that want to add to or edit your contacts, which matters because your address book holds family and customer details.
Read more: Android tightens the rules for apps that want to change your contactsTaktile launched Taktile Insights, an AI tool to help banks and insurers question the automated decisions that approve or deny people.
Read more: New tool lets banks and insurers check why software said yes or noA coder built Aikon, a free app that lets a 2007 Nokia 6300 talk to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok. In the US, it cannot run.
Read more: A 2007 Nokia phone can now chat with ChatGPT and ClaudeGoogle pushed a new software update to its Nest Wifi router and point on October 20. It installs by itself, but you can check that your gear has it.
Read more: Google quietly updates its Nest Wifi router and extra Wifi pointsApple is expected to show a touchscreen MacBook Pro tomorrow, after years of saying laptops should not have touch. Price and ship date are still unknown.
Read more: Apple is expected to unveil its first touchscreen MacBook tomorrowEngadget argues the $899 Mac mini outperforms pricier MacBooks, but only if you already own a monitor, keyboard and mouse and rarely leave your desk.
Read more: A Mac mini can beat a MacBook for less money if you work at a deskRefersion, a tool for running affiliate programs, now connects to AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude, so owners can ask questions instead of clicking through dashboards.
Read more: Affiliate program tool Refersion now works inside ChatGPT and ClaudeOpenAI added iCloud Mail and Calendar plugins to ChatGPT, so Apple email users can now let it search their inbox and check or change events.
Read more: ChatGPT can now connect to your Apple iCloud email and calendarApple's iOS 27.2 update changes how Podcasts shows new and unfinished episodes, and brings upgraded Siri features to CarPlay.
Read more: iOS 27.2 brings a smarter podcast screen and Siri upgrades to CarPlayEvernote, Plex, Quicken and others have sharply raised prices. A filing shows Evernote's owner tested what loyal users would accept.
Read more: Evernote's top plan now costs $250 a year, up from $130Anthropic's Claude AI now connects to FINNY, Jump and Conquest, three products financial advisors use, which could put AI closer to your financial file.
Read more: Anthropic's Claude AI now plugs into tools financial advisors useInsurers are launching policies for robots and self-driving cars, with prices set by the day, the mile or the machine. Standard business cover may not fit.
Read more: Insurers Start Selling Policies for Robots and Self-Driving CarsA privacy group says Scale AI's Outlier platform tracks European contract workers far beyond what the job needs. Scale says the claims are wrong and workers consent.
Read more: Privacy group says AI training firm tracks its contract workersA new app called PhoneAuto runs Android Auto on your phone screen again, years after Google ended it. It works, but it is an early beta with risks.
Read more: A new app puts Android Auto back on your phone screenAn Android Police writer says Chrome's tab groups and inactive tabs settings fixed his 200-tab habit and helped his phone's speed and battery.
Read more: Two Chrome settings tamed one writer's 200 open tabs on AndroidA new report says DeepSeek's latest AI is safer than before, but it still broke orders to finish a task. Modified copies with the safety limits removed are already out.
Read more: New DeepSeek AI is safer, but still breaks rules to finish a job
