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Google introduces natural language customization for Discover feed and News audio briefings
Google is rolling out updates that allow users to customize their Discover feed using natural language prompts and tailor their Google News daily audio briefings by selecting specific topics. These changes provide users with more control over the content they receive and are rolling out in the coming days.
Sony to Re-release WH-1000XM4 Headphones as Cheaper WH-1000XM4C; WH-1000XM6 Gets New Color
Sony is reportedly preparing to re-release its 2020 WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones as the WH-1000XM4C, priced around $250, offering a more affordable option with slightly reduced battery life. Concurrently, the current flagship WH-1000XM6 headphones are now available in a new "Olive Gray" color variant for $459, with no hardware changes.
Uber Eats Partners with Zipline for Drone Deliveries, Targets One Million Daily by 2029
Uber is partnering with and investing in Zipline to integrate drone deliveries into the Uber Eats platform, with initial deliveries starting by the end of 2024. The collaboration aims for one million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029, expanding Uber's delivery capabilities.
Heart Aerospace X1 Completes First Flight, Largest Battery-Electric Aircraft to Fly
Heart Aerospace's X1 demonstrator aircraft, the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown, completed its first flight on August 12, 2026. The piloted mission lasted 27 minutes, reached 1,100 feet AGL, and consumed approximately $5 worth of electricity, demonstrating the feasibility of electric propulsion for commercial airline operations.
X Replaces Revenue Sharing with New Original Content Rewards Program
X has launched a new Original Content Rewards Program, replacing its previous revenue-sharing model, which ceased accepting applications and will fully shut down after September 7. The new program, effective September 8, will compensate creators for original content based on qualified impressions, shifting focus to unique contributions rather than general engagement.
Disney+ Explores Free Ad-Supported Tier to Expand Reach and Ad Revenue
Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro confirmed the company is exploring a free, ad-supported streaming option for Disney+. This initiative aims to expand the service's reach to price-sensitive consumers, increase advertising revenue, and drive awareness for paid subscriptions amidst competition from free platforms like YouTube.
Spotify Reaches 300 Million Premium Subscribers, Reports €4.8 Billion in Q2 Revenue
Spotify announced it has surpassed 300 million Premium subscribers, a 9% increase year-over-year, and reached 777 million monthly active users in the second quarter. The company reported €4.8 billion ($5.5 billion) in revenue and a 33.4% gross margin, driven by subscriber growth and diversification of content offerings.
Apple to Enable iPhone-to-Windows Clipboard Sharing by Fall 2027 in EU
Apple plans to introduce a solution allowing users to copy and paste content between iPhones and Windows PCs, with a target completion date of Fall 2027. This development responds to a March 2026 interoperability request from Microsoft under the European Union's Digital Markets Act, aiming to bridge a gap in cross-device content transfer.
Google Health 5.05 Adds Two-Way Apple Health Syncing for Fitbit Data
Google Health version 5.05 for iOS now supports two-way synchronization with Apple Health, allowing Fitbit data such as exercise records, sleep, vitals, and steps to be written to HealthKit. This update addresses a long-standing limitation where Google Health could only read data from Apple Health, making Fitbit data accessible to other HealthKit-compatible applications.
DoorDash Launches In-House Drone Delivery Service, DoorDash Air, After FAA Approval
DoorDash has established DoorDash Air, its own drone delivery business, after receiving Part 135 air carrier certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. This certification allows DoorDash to operate commercial drone delivery services in the United States using its internally developed aircraft and infrastructure. The company previously partnered with other drone delivery providers but will now deploy its own drones, designed specifically for food delivery.
Apple TV+ Announces 'Neuromancer' Premiere Date and New Trailers at Comic-Con
Apple TV+ announced that its adaptation of William Gibson's novel "Neuromancer" will premiere on January 22, 2027, with the first two episodes, followed by weekly releases for a total of ten episodes. The announcement was made at San Diego Comic-Con, where a teaser trailer was also released. Additionally, trailers for "Dark Matter" season two and the movie "Matchbox" were debuted.
Geekbench 7 Released with New Media Workloads and Redesigned Multi-Core Testing
Primate Labs has released Geekbench 7, an update to its cross-platform benchmarking tool, featuring new video and audio encoding/decoding tests, larger datasets, and a redesigned multi-core test that mirrors real-world application behavior. This update aims to provide more accurate performance measurements for modern CPUs and GPUs across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.
Samsung Releases Galaxy Watch 9 and Ultra 2 with Bigger Batteries and New Features
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 at its Unpacked event. Both models feature the new Snapdragon Wear Elite chipset and enhanced batteries, focusing on improved health tracking and outdoor capabilities for the Ultra 2.
Block Launches Buzz: Open-Source Team Chat Integrating AI Agents and Git Hosting
Jack Dorsey and Block have launched Buzz, an open-source collaboration platform that merges team communication, AI agents, and Git hosting, built on the Nostr messaging protocol. Buzz provides a Slack-like interface where AI agents and humans interact, offering customizable workflows and cryptographic identities for all participants. This release potentially reduces reliance on multiple existing tools like Slack and GitHub.
Samsung Health Update: Consent Required for AI Data Use, Updated Policy on Data Retention
Samsung Health now requires user consent to use health data for AI training, with or without data deletion based on this consent. Meanwhile, Samsung introduced the AI-powered Health Assistant in beta to help users better understand health metrics. The updates aim to refine health service offerings while maintaining user data control.
Philips Offers Free Replacements After Firmware Bricks Hue Bridge Pro Devices
A firmware update led to less than 100 Philips Hue Bridge Pro devices becoming inoperable. Philips has offered free replacements and issued a patch to fix the issue, emphasizing a specific update scenario as the cause.
Meta Launches Pocket for AI-Generated Interactive Games
Meta released a new app called Pocket, which allows users to create and share AI-generated interactive mini-games. Following the acquisition of Gizmo's development team, this app uses AI prompts to let users generate "gizmos" that are shared socially. Pocket is available on iOS and Android but not yet widely accessible.
Xbox Tests Disc-to-Digital Feature for Physical Game Collections
Microsoft has started testing a disc-to-digital feature for Xbox, enabling owners to convert Xbox One and Series X/S physical games to digital formats. This comes amid a rise in digital gaming, aligning with industry trends after Sony's decision to halt physical game disc production by 2028.
Qualcomm Stock Drops 6% on Weaker-than-Expected Earnings Forecast
Qualcomm reported quarterly results that exceeded Wall Street estimates but issued a lower-than-expected earnings forecast for the current quarter, causing its stock to drop 6%. The company's handset chip sales declined significantly, while automotive and IoT revenues increased, and it is expanding into AI data center infrastructure.
Moderna and Merck mRNA Cancer Vaccine Reduces Melanoma Recurrence or Death by 42%
Moderna and Merck announced that their personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, when combined with standard treatment, reduced the risk of death or recurrence in melanoma patients by 42% in a late-stage trial. This development represents a significant advance in melanoma treatment and supports the potential of mRNA technology for individualized cancer therapies.
Samsung Unpacked 2026 Introduces Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Flip 8, and Galaxy Watch 9 Series
Samsung unveiled its latest foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8, alongside the Galaxy Watch 9 and Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, at its Unpacked 2026 event in London. The new devices feature enhancements in design, battery life, and processing power, with preorders now available and sales beginning August 7.
Microsoft Releases TypeScript 7.0 with Native Go Compiler, Delivering Significant Build Speedups
Microsoft has released TypeScript 7.0, which includes a new native compiler written in Go, resulting in build times that are typically 8 to 12 times faster. This update significantly improves developer productivity by reducing compilation and type-checking durations for large codebases.
CueFlip App Automates Sheet Music Page Turns for Musicians
CueFlip, a new iOS app, automatically turns pages of digital sheet music by listening to a musician's performance. The app allows users to teach it specific page turn cues within a song and includes a music dictionary with translations for over 20,000 terms. It also offers manual page turning via Face ID eye winks or Bluetooth page turners.
Homelab enthusiast retires 27-year self-hosted Microsoft Exchange setup for Postfix
A homelab enthusiast, Meta4X, has decommissioned their self-hosted Microsoft Exchange server after 27 years, migrating its final function as an alert relay to Postfix on Ubuntu Server LTS. The user had previously moved primary mailboxes to Microsoft 365, and this change marks the complete retirement of the long-running Exchange installation.
Apple Music Introduces 'Selfie Sing' Karaoke Feature and Enhanced Landscape Lyrics View
Apple Music is rolling out "Selfie Sing" with iOS 27.3, allowing users to record themselves singing karaoke with on-screen lyrics and share the videos. This update also improves the landscape lyrics view by extending animated artwork across the display on all iPhone models.
Valve addresses Steam game submission delays, implements new developer requirements
Valve has acknowledged a significant increase in Steam game submissions, leading to review times of up to 12 business days. To mitigate delays, Valve is implementing new developer checklist requirements, including mandatory five-minute gameplay through Steam and confirmation of achievements and redistributables.
Apple Intelligence Features to Launch in China with iOS 27.3 Beta on November 4
Apple will introduce initial Apple Intelligence features in China through an iOS 27.3 beta, set to launch on November 4, with a full release in December. This rollout will include notification summaries, real-time translation, rewriting tools, visual intelligence, and object removal from photos. Alibaba's Qwen chatbot will be integrated for some experiences, but the new Siri AI will not be part of this initial launch.
Apple to Mandate 18+ Age Rating for Dating and AI Romantic Companion Apps
Apple will require developers to declare if their apps include location-sharing or dating/relationship features, effective November 16. Apps with dating or relationship features, including AI romantic companions, will receive a minimum 18+ age rating on the App Store. This change impacts app developers by setting new age rating requirements and compliance deadlines.
Samsung begins Android 17 and One UI 9 rollout for Galaxy S26 series
Samsung has started rolling out its One UI 9 update, based on Android 17, to the Galaxy S26 series after a four-month beta period. This update introduces new features like My FanCam, Generative and Editable Cards, and additional Galaxy AI capabilities, marking the beginning of a wider rollout to other Galaxy devices.
OpenBao 2.7 Adds External Key Support, PostgreSQL Read Scaling, and Post-Quantum TLS
OpenBao, a fork of HashiCorp Vault, released version 2.7, introducing read scaling for PostgreSQL backends, support for external HSM and KMS keys, and post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. This update expands OpenBao's capabilities, offering features previously restricted to enterprise licenses in Vault under an open-source license.
Australian Court Orders Apple to Allow Third-Party App Stores and Payments by 2027
An Australian federal judge has ordered Apple to permit alternative app stores and payment methods on iPhones for Australian users, effective March 1, 2027. This ruling follows a finding that Apple violated Australian competition law by restricting app distribution and payment options, stemming from a lawsuit filed by Epic Games. Apple plans to appeal the decision.
Ford Launches "Privacy Promise" and Website, Vows Not to Sell Driving Data
Ford introduced a "privacy promise" and a new website to explain its data collection practices for connected vehicles. The company committed to not selling customer driving data to third-party data brokers, distinguishing itself from competitors facing legal issues over data sharing. This initiative aims to provide transparency and control to customers ahead of new connected vehicle launches.
OpenBSD 8.0 Released, Adds Intel Arc Support and Expanded Virtual Address Space
OpenBSD 8.0 has been released, marking the project's 61st semiannual update. This version introduces Intel Arc A-Series graphics card support and expands the AMD64 kernel virtual address space to 512GB, improving compatibility and VRAM mapping capabilities.
Android 17 Adoption Reaches 1% Four Months Post-Release, Android 16 Dominates at 25%
Four months after its release in June, Android 17 is installed on 1% of active Android devices. Android 16, released last year, has become the most widely used version, accounting for over 25% of devices. This slow adoption rate for Android 17 indicates a challenge in getting users to update to the latest Android versions, with approximately 40% of users still on Android 14 or older.
South Korea Fines Apple $15.5 Million, Orders App Store Policy Changes
South Korea's Korea Media and Communications Commission (KMCC) fined Apple 20.81 billion won ($15.5 million) and ordered changes to its App Store policies. The KMCC found Apple violated the Telecommunications Business Act by forcing specific payment methods, unfairly delaying app reviews, and imposing discriminatory commissions on South Korean developers.
Rivian's R2 Becomes Best-Selling Vehicle, Company Raises Delivery Guidance
Rivian's R2 electric vehicle became its best-selling model by volume in Q3 2026, contributing to a 38% increase in overall revenue to $2.155 billion. The company raised its annual delivery guidance for the second time this year, now expecting to deliver at least 67,000 EVs, up from a previous range of 65,000 to 70,000.
Google opens applications for Registered App Stores outside the US
Google has started accepting applications for its Registered App Stores program, allowing third-party app stores outside the US to integrate more deeply with Android. This program offers features like one-click installation and silent updates, stemming from antitrust case outcomes and aiming to streamline app distribution while maintaining security.
Chrome Autofill Now Uses Gemini to Pull Information from Gmail for Forms
Google Chrome has updated its autofill feature to integrate with Gemini and Personal Intelligence, allowing it to extract specific details from Gmail to complete online forms. This expansion goes beyond basic contact and payment information, enabling Chrome to suggest data like flight confirmation numbers, order numbers, and tracking information. The feature is rolling out to users in the U.S. on desktop, Android, and iOS, provided they have Gemini and Personal Intelligence enabled.
Samsung Launches Open-Ear Galaxy Buds On in US for $229
Samsung has released its new open-ear Galaxy Buds On in the US for $229, with pre-orders beginning now and shipping in early November. These clip-style earbuds allow users to hear ambient sounds while listening to audio, a new form factor for Samsung. They feature Gemini Live integration, up to 9.5 hours of battery life, and an IP54 durability rating.
Firefox Smart Window Adds AI Form Filling and Webpage Monitoring Features
Mozilla has updated Firefox's Smart Window with two new AI-powered features: form filling and webpage monitoring. The form filling feature, powered by Google's Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite model, suggests answers for web forms by drawing information from other open tabs. Webpage monitoring alerts users to changes on specified webpages, such as sales or job listings. These features are rolling out in beta to desktop users in the US and Canada.