The everyday tech stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Change.org is rebuilding its petition site to help people reach local officials, as more than 80% of Americans say leaders do not listen.
Read more: Change.org rebuilds its petition site to reach local officialsA security group called Calif says it hacked the iPhone. The details are thin and Apple has not replied, so keeping your phone updated is the safe move.
Read more: Security team says it hacked the iPhone, details still thinSecurity firm Forever says it blocked a real attempt to trick an AI coding assistant into installing malware, using a text file sitting in a Downloads folder.
Read more: A stray text file in Downloads told an AI coding helper to install malwareAndroid 17 lets you pin up to five apps as floating bubbles that stay on top of everything, starting on Google Pixel phones.
Read more: Android now lets you keep your favorite apps floating on screenChatGPT's new Slides tool builds presentations from your chats, but the full version needs a Pro plan. A Lifehacker tester found the results rushed.
Read more: ChatGPT can now build slide decks, but the best version costs $100 a monthA How-To Geek writer says Android Auto beats Apple CarPlay for her daily drive, citing voice help, automation and muting single chats.
Read more: One driver explains why she prefers Android Auto over Apple CarPlayA writer put a cellular Pixel Watch 4 in a 3D-printed slab case to use it like a tiny phone, and a new version comes with a downloadable file.
Read more: A 3D-printed case turns a Pixel Watch into a tiny phoneMeta is testing a two-link monthly cap on Facebook pages, and city and nonprofit pages say they were hit even though Meta says they should not be.
Read more: Facebook is limiting free links for city and nonprofit pagesGoogle has made it simpler to put web apps built with Gemini online, in a few clicks and with no coding, which could help small businesses share quick custom tools.
Read more: Google makes it easier to put your Gemini-built web apps onlineA writer at Android Police says three changes in Waze's settings cut the nagging and clutter in Android Auto, and saved 10 to 15 minutes per commute.
Read more: Three Waze settings that make driving with Android Auto less annoyingFederal regulators propose a cyan light so anyone on the road can tell at a glance when a robotaxi, not a person, is driving the car.
Read more: Federal regulators propose a special light for driverless carsScammers are posing as Sam's Club in ads, emails, texts and calls to steal card and account details, and the fakes look more real than before.
Read more: Fake Sam's Club emails, texts and calls are getting harder to spotApple's iOS 27 is out on the new iPhone Duo, with a revamped Siri and an updated Safari. Not every iPhone gets every feature.
Read more: iOS 27 is here: a guide to what's new on your iPhoneAndroid phones can send big videos, photo batches and documents to nearby devices wirelessly, with no email, no upload and no extra app.
Read more: Android's built-in Quick Share sends big files without email or uploadsA reviewer who paid for Google AI Pro for a year says the cheaper Plus plan covers most daily needs, as Google reshuffles what each Gemini tier includes.
Read more: Google's $20 AI plan may be more than most people needThe iPhone Duo can show two apps side by side on its unfolded screen, and you can lock a favorite pair so they always open together.
Read more: The new iPhone Duo can show two apps on screen at onceSweden's government offices are moving to ban ChatGPT and Claude, a sign of how seriously some employers take private data and AI chatbots.
Read more: Swedish government offices move to ban ChatGPT and ClaudeA conservative group wants AI-voice political calls allowed on cell phones without consent. The FCC has not agreed, but the midterms are close.
Read more: Group asks regulators to allow AI-voice political calls to your cell phoneGoogle plans to make every Android app developer register and show government ID in 2027, which could make apps from outside Google Play harder to get.
Read more: Google to require every Android app developer to register in 2027Balsio has launched Workspaces, a new product for small business teams. The price and features were not shared, so owners should check before signing up.
Read more: Balsio launches Workspaces for small business teamsLyft now sends a driver to bring back a phone you left in a ride, often within hours. Lyft Pink members pay nothing, and everyone else pays a fare.
Read more: Lyft Will Now Bring a Phone You Left in a Ride Back to YouSamsung's Galaxy Z Flip8 is the lightest and slimmest flip phone yet, but it costs $100 more than last year's model and Wired gave it a 7 out of 10.
Read more: Samsung's Newest Flip Phone Is the Smallest Around, but Costs $100 MoreBuilt-in graphics can now run big games at 1080p, but skipping a graphics card saves only a few hundred dollars while memory and storage stay pricey.
Read more: PCs can game without a graphics card now, but they still cost a lotMeta's AI glasses, in Ray-Ban and Oakley styles, are now sold in Malaysia. Here is how to pick one and what to think about before you wear them.
Read more: Meta's Ray-Ban and Oakley AI glasses now on sale in Malaysia
