Meta is building a smart TV — in VR
This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Big hero images highlighting select TV shows and movies, a row of app icons, a bunch of additional content recommendations: At first glance, Meta's new Horizon TV app looks a […]
Oracle goes all-in on AI, customers still figuring out how they'll use it

It's all agents and LLMs in Vegas, and even legacy users can partake

As Oracle pounds the market with AI announcements across cloud infrastructure, applications, and data analytics, experts have warned that users' path to adoption remains uncertain.…

OnePlus’ OxygenOS 16 brings Gemini into your Mind Space
OnePlus has announced OxygenOS 16, its take on Android 16, with upgrades to its Mind Space AI tool including complete integration with Google Gemini. Other updates include new lock screen customizations, improved connectivity options, and design tweaks throughout. Mind Space is where the biggest changes have been made. When it launched in June, Mind Space […]
Google pitches Workspace tools for ‘when, not if’ Microsoft 365 fails
Google is trying to capitalize on what it calls “frequent and severe” Microsoft 365 outages by offering up services like email, storage, and videoconferencing to businesses in the event of a Microsoft outage. The search giant’s new Business Continuity plan runs a Google Workspace in parallel with Microsoft 365, so if there’s an outage then […]
NordVPN open sources its Linux GUI client under GPLv3

Joins its command-line client from a couple of years ago

NordVPN has open sourced another of its Linux VPN client apps under the GPLv3. This time, it's the graphical user interface (GUI) version.…

Casio goes back to the ‘80s for its Back to the Future calculator watch
It wasn’t the first watchmaker to release a wristworn calculator, but by making them affordable, Casio’s calculator watches became an icon of ‘80s technology. It was even the timepiece of choice for Back to the Future’s Marty McFly, and as 2025 marks the 40th anniversary of that film’s release, Casio is once again resurrecting one […]
Ugreen’s 8-port Thunderbolt 4 hub is $80 off
If your laptop doesn’t have enough ports, you can fix that issue with Ugreen’s Revodok Max 208, an 8-in-1 Thunderbolt 4 dock that’s on sale for $169.98 ($80 off) at Amazon and from Ugreen. The Revodok Max 208 has four Thunderbolt 4 ports and a gigabit ethernet port on the back, and three USB-A ports […]
Locked out of your Gmail account? Google says phone a friend

Recovery feature lets trusted contacts help you get back in when other methods fail

The latest security feature for Gmail enables users to recover their accounts with a little help from their friends.…

The EV tax credit is gone — now the hard part begins
Hello, and welcome to Decoder! This is Jake Kastrenakes, executive editor at The Verge. I’m filling in for Nilay for one Thursday episode while he’s settling back into full-time podcast hosting duties.  We’ve got a very good episode for you today. My guest is Verge transportation editor Andy Hawkins, and we’re talking about the federal […]
Uber is turning its app into an AI training ground
In its quest to become the ultimate app for “flexible work,” Uber launched today a new pilot to allow its US drivers and couriers to earn extra money by performing “microtasks” to train AI models. These tasks include audio voice recording, capturing and uploading images, and submitting documents in certain languages. The prompts will vary, […]
US hyperscalers to guzzle 22% more grid juice by end of 2025

AI hype fuels bit barn boom – and utilities are sweating the surge

Hyperscale datacenters stateside will consume 22 percent more grid power by the end of 2025 than a year ago, and are forecast to need nearly three times as much electricity by the end of the decade.…

Microsoft kills 9.9-rated ASP.NET Core bug – 'our highest ever' score

Flaw in Kestrel web server allowed request smuggling, impact depends on hosting setup and application code

Microsoft has patched an ASP.NET Core vulnerability with a CVSS score of 9.9, which security program manager Barry Dorrans said was "our highest ever." The flaw is in the Kestrel web server component and enables security bypass.…

Netflix’s Frankenstein jolts the classic tale with del Toro’s signature flair
Guillermo del Toro has been thinking about Mary Shelley's novel for a lifetime. He has described Frankenstein as "the quintessential teenage book," and his famous Bleak House in Los Angeles is filled with versions of the creature from various film and stage adaptations. Naturally, the director has also imagined turning it into a movie himself. […]
Spotify says it’s working with labels on ‘responsible’ AI music tools
The recently-rumored AI partnership between Spotify and the major record labels is now a reality. The streaming service announced today that it’s entering into an agreement with Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop “responsible AI products.” Unfortunately, your guess is as good as ours as to what […]
Windows 11 update breaks localhost, prompting mass uninstall workaround

Microsoft's quality control department caught napping again

Microsoft's October Windows 11 update has managed the impressive feat of breaking localhost, leaving developers unable to access web applications running on their own machines.…

The future of being trans on the internet
The internet has long been a source of information and support for transgender people. Now, trans rights and the internet itself are in a moment of crisis. What happens next? How trans visibility became a trap People who have documented their lives online are discovering the dark side of digital permanence. The return of the […]
Trans women are building their own publishing world, and it’s under threat
While oceans of ink paint trans women as a monstrous threat or pitiable curiosity, trans women themselves have often remained locked out of the publishing world as both writers and presumptive readers — spoken of but not to.  Traditional publishing can flatten the diversity of queer experience as a whole, homogenizing it for the benefit […]
Microsoft wants you to talk to your PC and let AI control it
As Microsoft bids farewell to Windows 10 and gets ready to mark the 40-year milestone of its operating system, it’s looking forward to what’s next for Windows. Microsoft might not be ready to announce Windows 12 just yet, but it clearly wants to turn every Windows 11 PC into an AI PC that Copilot controls […]
DoorDash will use Waymo’s robotaxis for delivery in Phoenix
DoorDash customers in Phoenix may soon have their delivery order brought to them by an autonomous Waymo vehicle. The two companies announced a partnership today that will bring Waymo’s driverless Jaguar SUVs into the DoorDash delivery fleet. It’s another example of delivery companies like DoorDash trying to slash costs associated with its human workforce by […]
Oppo Find X9 Pro combines 200MP telephoto with 7,500mAh battery
It’s Android flagship season in China right now, and today is Oppo’s turn. It has revealed the Find X9 and Find X9 Pro, with industry-leading specs for both the cameras and batteries. Unlike sister company OnePlus, Oppo has maintained its relationship with Hasselblad, now extending it to a branded telephoto extender lens. Oppo also promised […]
Senator presses Cisco over firewall flaws that burned US agency

Bill Cassidy letter asks if Switchzilla sat on critical flaws before feds were forced into emergency patching

US Senator Bill Cassidy has fired off a pointed letter to Cisco over the firewall flaws that allegedly let hackers breach "at least one federal agency."…

Honda wants you to teach its new robot lawnmower
Ever wanted a robot lawnmower you can ride? If the answer’s yes, then Honda has something for you. The Japanese company will be debuting its new ProZision series of battery-powered riding mowers at the Equip Exposition 2025 in Kentucky next week, one of which Honda says can trim your grass “without needing a human operator […]
Axiom Space ejects CEO after six months, installs NASA veteran as replacement

Jonathan Cirtain at the helm as revolving door swings for private corp

Axiom Space has ousted its CEO after just six months, hiring Jonathan Cirtain to replace Tejpaul Bhatia.…

The DIY and IRL energy of punk rock mutual aid
Ekko Astral is not a trans band. They may have a trans frontwoman in Jael Holzman. Much of their material may deal with being trans. Plus, they may have grown their fan base from word of mouth online in spaces such as trans Twitter. But at the end of the day, they are not a […]
Auction house Sotheby's finds its data on the block after cyberattack

Alert says financial account information lifted from systems

Auction house Sotheby's says it was breached on July 24, and those behind the intrusion stole an unspecified amount of data, including Social Security numbers and financial account information.…

Tech industry grad hiring crashes 46% as bots do junior work

GenAI meets Gen Z – only one gets the job

ai-pocalypse  The UK tech sector is cutting graduate jobs dramatically – down 46 percent in the past year, with another 53 percent drop projected, according to figures from the Institute of Student Employers (ISE).…

Firefox 144 brings fixes, features, and farewells for 32-bit Linux die-hards

Mozilla hardens its browser and toys with AI search while closing the door on legacy systems

New versions of both Mozilla's browser and its subsidiary MZLA's messaging client are here – with some bad news for users of older kit.…

Steve Jobs will appear on commemorative $1 coin
The US Mint has revealed the design for a commemorative $1 coin honoring late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs.  The coin features a young Jobs sitting crosslegged in front of a California landscape of rolling hills, the Mint said. Of course, he’s wearing a turtleneck. There’s also an inscription: “Make something wonderful.” The 2007 […]
The $100B memory war: Inside the battle for AI's future

The AI gold rush is so large that even third place is lucrative

Feature  The generative AI revolution has exposed a brutal truth: raw computing power means nothing if you can't feed the beast. In sprawling AI datacenters housing thousands of GPUs, the real chokepoint isn't processing speed – it's memory bandwidth.…

Microsoft is reportedly moving its Surface manufacturing out of China
As trade tensions grow between the US and China, Microsoft is reportedly preparing to move the manufacturing of its Surface laptops and tablets out of China. Nikkei reports that Microsoft is aiming to move manufacturing of Surface devices and data center servers out of China “starting from 2026 at the earliest.” The move will reportedly […]
SpaceX's Starship: Two down, Mons Huygens to climb

Musk's moonshot still missing orbit, refueling, landing

Comment  SpaceX is celebrating two consecutive Starship launches without unplanned explosions, yet the business faces a daunting path forward before the spacecraft can deliver astronauts to the lunar surface.…

Larry Ellison's latest craze: Vectorizing all the customers

Oracle slurps your data whether you like it or not... for the good and bad of the planet

Comment  If you're an Oracle customer – throw a pebble into a crowd of 100 CIOs and you're bound to hit one – then Big Red has vectorized you. Or, more accurately, it has vectorized your data, according to Larry Ellison, co-founder and CTO, who lobbed about the terminology in this week's conference keynote as if it conferred some sort of mystical technological incantation.…

End of support for older Office and Windows Server versions pile on the pain for admins

Windows 10 is the least of some people's problems

Windows 10's free support has shuffled off this mortal coil for most customers – but that's merely the headline act in Microsoft's October support massacre. Older versions of Office and Windows Server have also been shown the door.…

Mind the gap – in mobile coverage: UK train signal to stay patchy till 2030

Minister pins hopes on low Earth orbit satellites to plug crap rail connectivity

Data-hungry rail passengers will have to wait until at least 2030 before getting something like universal mobile data coverage across the UK, a minister confirmed this week.…

Meta sends Arm a friend request asking for help with Nvidia’s Grace CPUs

No custom Arm CPUs to speak of yet

Meta on Wednesday entered into a partnership with Arm Holdings with the aim of helping its software run more efficiently on the British chip designer's CPUs.…

Librephone battles the proprietary binary blob

Free Software Foundation project aims to reverse-engineer non-freedom respecting firmware

To bridge the gap between Android distributions and true mobile phone freedom, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) has launched an initiative called Librephone.…

CISA exec blames nation-state hackers and Democrats for putting America's critical systems at risk

Federal agencies have seven days to patch F5 products

An unidentified nation-state hacking crew targeting vulnerable F5 products to break into US government networks poses an "imminent risk" to federal agencies, American cyber officials warned on Wednesday – while also blaming Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown and insisting that the staffing cuts haven't hurt cyber defenses at all.…

X to combat bot problem by showing more info about users

Meet [user] from [location]

In an effort to help human readers figure out whether they can trust the source of information (or opinion) posted on X, Elon Musk’s social network plans to add a new "About this account" screen with metadata from each user, including their location, how long they’ve had the account, and how many times they've changed their usernames.…

Google’s AI video generator is getting better editing and more audio
Google is making videos created with the AI filmmaking tool Flow even more realistic — and harder to identify as AI-generated at first glance. The company announced Wednesday that users can add in and change the shadows and lighting of their AI videos. The expanded editing features in Flow are tied to the Veo 3.1 […]
OpenAI's ChatGPT is so popular that almost no one will pay for it

If you build it, they will come and expect the service to be free

OpenAI is losing about three times more money than it's earning, and 95 percent of those using ChatGPT, which generates roughly 70 percent of the company's recurring revenue, aren't paying a dime to help stem the losses.…

The MLB app’s best feature is a 30-second delay
When my household quit cable four years ago and I lost access to Seattle Mariners games on TV, I started streaming the radio broadcast on the Google Home speaker in my kitchen. Honestly? Baseball on the radio rules. You get to walk around and do stuff to the pleasant background sounds of the crowd. Sometimes […]
Here’s where you can preorder the new M5 MacBook Pro and iPad Pro
Apple recently announced revised 14-inch MacBook Pro and iPad Pro models, each equipped with the new M5 processor. As expected, Apple's new M5 chip is supposedly faster than the M4, with better performance for graphically demanding applications. Apple also says the M5 is significantly better at handling AI-based tasks because its 10-core GPU has a […]
Apple goes all in on AI acceleration with M5 MacBook, iPad, and Vision Pros

Oh and the CPU is up to 15% faster for those that could care less about articifically intelligent Apple products and more about getting work done

Apple's fifth-generation of M-series silicon is starting to trickle out with the launch of the M5 MacBook, iPad, and Vision Pros this week.…

Japan tells OpenAI to stop spiriting away its copyrighted anime

Tokyo cries foul over Sora slop abusing 'irreplaceable treasures' of anime, manga - oh, and copyright law

OpenAI’s Sora 2 video generator has gone viral, particularly among users churning out anime that looks suspiciously like Studio Ghibli and other copyrighted works. Alarmed by the threat to one of its prized cultural exports, Japan has reportedly lodged a formal request that the American firm knock it off.…

The iPad just got the chip it needs to be a smart home controller — again
Apple’s new M5-powered iPad Pro is the first iPad to officially support the Thread smart home protocol. It comes with Apple’s new N1 wireless networking chip, which adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread — the three wireless protocols the Matter smart home standard runs on. While other iPads and Macs reportedly have Thread radios, […]
Microsoft, Nvidia, and others inject $40B into AI bubble with massive datacenter deal

Big Tech and big money unite to back world’s biggest bit-barn buyout

The AI bubble just keeps getting bigger. A consortium featuring BlackRock, Microsoft, Nvidia, xAI, and MGX is buying Aligned Data Centers in a deal valuing the operator at around $40 billion, in what is reportedly the biggest datacenter acquisition to date.…

Amazon’s new name for the Fire TV Stick 4K only adds more confusion
Following the debut of Amazon’s $39.99 Fire TV Stick 4K Select, the company told The Verge that a name change was coming to the existing “Fire TV Stick 4K” to clarify where it sat in the lineup. Now, Amazon has introduced that new branding, relaunching the product as the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus. […]
‘New media’ is just right-wing media 
Hello and welcome to a post-October Federal Holiday edition of Regulator. Last week, I caught wind that House Speaker Mike Johnson, along with several top House Republican leaders, had held an exclusive press briefing about the government shutdown that was restricted to "new media." The contents of the meeting were published as a "scoop" by […]
Senate Democrats want to know: was YouTube’s Trump settlement a bribe?
A group of Democratic lawmakers are asking questions about YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement with President Donald Trump. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, five Senators — Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) — asked for details about any settlement […]
Insta360’s impressive X5 action cam has fallen to a new low price 
If you’re looking for a great 360-degree action camera for your next adventure, the Insta360 X5 is an excellent pick that’s on sale in black at Amazon and Best Buy for $499.99 ($50 off) through October 16th, which is an all-time low. It’s also available directly from Insta360’s online storefront for the same price with […]
Logitech made an Apple Pencil-like stylus for the Vision Pro
Logitech is launching a digital stylus for Apple Vision Pro that makes it easier to write, draw, and manipulate 3D designs. The Logitech Muse is essentially a pen-shaped Vision Pro controller that can be used like a paintbrush or pencil when navigating apps, making annotations, or creating art, providing a more natural experience in mixed […]
Mint Mobile’s prepaid home internet plan is really cheap under very specific circumstances
Mint Mobile is trying something a bit less “mobile” with its new prepaid 5G home internet plan that goes for as little as $30 a month. To get that price, you will need to also have a Mint phone plan and pay for at least three months up front. But it’s still one of the […]
Cisco: Most companies don't know what they're doing with AI

Only 13% are AI-ready; the rest are bolting it on and hoping for ROI

Contrary to popular belief, you can't succeed in business (or AI) without really trying. Many orgs are jumping on the AI bandwagon without the infrastructure they need to make it work or track results, Cisco says. Most haven't even defined what they want their AI agents to do.…

'Highly sophisticated' government goons hacked F5, stole source code and undisclosed bug details

And they swiped a limited amount of customers' config data

Security shop F5 today said "highly sophisticated nation-state" hackers broke into its network and stole BIG-IP source code, undisclosed vulnerability details, and customer configuration data belonging to a "small percentage" of its users.…

Devs are writing VS Code extensions that blab secrets by the bucketload

Vibe coding may have played a role in what took researchers months to fix

Developers of VS Code extensions are leaking sensitive secrets left, right and center, according to researchers who worked with Microsoft to combat an issue that could have led to some nasty supply chain attacks.…

Threads now has group chats
Meta is adding group chats to Threads, allowing users to message multiple friends in shared conversations instead of sending separate DMs. Threads users can create a group chat by starting a new message and adding up to 50 people who follow their Threads account. The group chat name can be customized to make it easier […]
Kobo’s new e-reader remote lets you turn the page with the press of a button
Kobo announced an official remote control for its e-readers, allowing you to turn the page easily even when you don’t have the e-reader to hand. While it won’t quite allow you to read ebooks hands-free, it will help if you’re trying to read while your hands are otherwise occupied by cooking or cats, or when […]
Microsoft veteran explains Windows quirk that made videos play in Paint

Raymond Chen says the OS used green-screen overlays to fake video playback – with curious side effects

Microsoft veteran Raymond Chen has answered a lingering Windows question – why did video screenshots keep playing in Paint?…

Honor’s Robot Phone concept features a fold-out camera arm
Honor has announced what it’s calling the “Robot Phone,” a concept device with an AI-enabled, gimbal-mounted camera that unfolds from the phone’s rear and can shoot photos and film video in any direction. The phone — so far only seen in CGI form in a teaser video, with no glimpse of real hardware just yet […]
Japan wants OpenAI to stop ripping off manga and anime
Japan’s government is dialing up the heat on OpenAI, formally asking it to stop ripping off Japanese artwork, according to ITMedia and reported by IGN. The company has been in copyright hell after the launch of its social video app Sora, which users swiftly filled with questionable AI-generated material. Minoru Kiuchi, whose many Japanese ministerial […]
Major federation of unions calls for ‘worker-centered AI’ future
On Wednesday, the largest US group of unions called on employers and policymakers to join in an effort it’s calling the “workers first initiative on AI.” Functionally, the effort by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) amounts to strengthened collective bargaining in the workplace and advocating for regulations to limit […]
ASML shrugs off China slump with faith in AI-fueled chip demand

Beijing's self-reliance push and US export limits hit orders

Europe's tech darling ASML has warned Chinese demand for its chipmaking kit will plummet next year, as Beijing doubles down on home-grown alternatives in response to Uncle Sam's export restrictions and trade war shenanigans.…

Raspberry Pi OS, LMDE, Peppermint OS join the Debian 13 club

Downstream Linux projects line up behind the latest release

A month after Debian 13.1's release, some of the more visible downstream forks, including Raspberry Pi OS, have decided it's time to incorporate the latest version of the main OS into their builds.…

Apple’s iPad Pro now has an M5 chip and some nice internal upgrades
Apple just announced a new model of its best and highest-end tablet, the iPad Pro. The new device comes with a couple of internal upgrades over the M4-powered model, most notably a brand-new chip, the M5. Apple says the chip brings “up to 3.5x the AI performance” of last year’s Pro, whatever that means, along […]
Apple just upgraded the Vision Pro with an M5 chip and new strap
Apple just revealed that the Vision Pro headset is getting upgraded to an M5 chip. There’s also a new strap called the Dual Knit Band, which the company says will “help users achieve an even more comfortable fit.” The M5 headsets will be available starting October 22nd for the same $3,499. But aside from the […]
Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro gets an M5 chip bump and faster storage
Apple is refreshing its 14-inch MacBook Pro with a new processor. Announced this morning via press release, the entry-level MacBook Pro now features an M5 chip, faster storage, and a claimed 24 hours of battery life. The rest of the design remains the same, and the price still starts at $1,599 for a 10-core CPU […]
Roku’s AI-upgraded voice assistant can answer questions about what you’re watching
Roku is updating its voice assistant with AI features that can answer questions about movies, shows, and actors, as well as help you find something to watch next. Now, instead of just following simple commands, Roku says its voice assistant can respond to questions like “How scary is The Shining?” or “What kind of fish […]
Xbox Ally and Ally X review: this is not an Xbox
What does "Xbox" mean? Some might say it can only refer to a box-shaped Microsoft game machine. Others will argue it's a collection of Xbox-native titles like Halo, Gears, Forza, and Fable. I think most would probably agree it's a game console experience, a way to kick back and easily play the latest games without […]
Google will let friends help you recover an account
Google is introducing new recovery tools that aim to make it less frustrating to regain access when you’re locked out of your account. Instead of answering security questions or entering a recovery email address, Google’s new security features allow account holders to verify their identity using a linked mobile number, or trusted friends or family […]
Honor’s Magic 8 phones have huge batteries and oodles of AI
Honor announced its Magic 8 and Magic 8 Pro flagships at a launch event in China today, with an international launch scheduled for later this year. They boast some of the biggest batteries in mainstream phones, along with a suite of AI features including a dedicated AI shortcut button. The version of the Magic 8 […]
Verge subscribers, here’s how to set up ad-free podcasts 
Ad-free podcasts are now officially available for Verge subscribers! There are a few steps to follow to set up ad-free feeds, so read on for instructions.  If you’re not yet a Verge subscriber but would like access to ad-free listening, you can go here. Like with all other subscription perks, subscribers can manage and update […]
Ad-free Verge podcasts have arrived
Since we launched our subscription last December, the most highly requested feature from Verge subscribers has been ad-free podcasts (seriously, highly requested). Well… we heard you. (Get it?) Starting today, all Verge subscribers can listen to our award-winning podcasts without any ads whatsoever. Whether you enjoy listening to David and the gang talk about free, […]
Apple’s rumored smart home display hub might start at $350
Apple’s long-rumored smart home display hub may finally launch in Spring 2026, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, but at a relatively steep cost. Gurman reports that Apple has targeted a price of around $350 for its upcoming 7-inch smart display meant to serve as a central command hub in the home. That’s the same launch […]
AI startup Augment scraps 'unsustainable' pricing, users say new model is 10x worse

Second huge increase in six months sees some devs heading for the exit

Augment has updated its pricing model for Augment Code, an AI coding assistant, to be based on AI usage rather than message interactions. The company said its existing model "isn't sustainable" but users have calculated that the new one is more than ten times as expensive.…

Only out online
For about a year of my life, from late 2019 through the summer of 2020, I was trans only on Reddit. I don’t know why I chose Reddit. I don’t normally use the site heavily, or at all. But Reddit is a place where users ask for advice, and I needed advice desperately. So I […]
£2B UK cloud licensing claim against Microsoft seeks more business backers

Action alleges Redmond unfairly hikes costs for businesses running Windows Server outside Azure

The team pushing a £2 billion legal claim accusing Microsoft of overcharging businesses that use its software on rival clouds has called for further participants ahead of its first hearing in December.…

Doing it for themselves
In 2014, Time announced the “Transgender Tipping Point.” The perilous conditions trans people are facing right now probably weren’t the progress the publication had in mind. In the US, state legislators and even the president are on the attack, while in the UK, J.K. Rowling is proudly bankrolling hate campaigns and the government just issued […]
Everyone wants a fancy phone – even the folk buying them second-hand

IDC and Counterpoint say premium kit is driving sales in both new and used markets

Premium devices are what smartphone buyers want right now, and it seems that applies equally to the latest devices and second-hand models destined for emerging markets.…

Capita fined £14M after 58-hour delay exposed 6.6M records

ICO makes example of outsourcing giant over sluggish cyber response

The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has issued a £14 million ($18.6 million) penalty to outsourcing giant Capita following a catastrophic 2023 cyberattack that exposed the personal data of 6.6 million people.…

The government shutdown is strangling aviation
In May, The Verge reported that the US aviation system was so fragile that "the smallest disruption can throw the entire system into chaos." That disruption arrived on October 1st, when the federal government shut down over a budget dispute. Chaos has indeed ensued. More than 6,000 flights are being delayed every day, nearly twice […]
Schleswig-Holstein waves auf Wiedersehen to Microsoft stack

Germany's northernmost state bins Outlook – and tens of thousands of Redmond licenses

Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany, has finally concluded one element of a long-running project to eject Microsoft from its infrastructure by giving Exchange Server the boot.…

These are the Office icons Microsoft rejected
Microsoft is busy rolling out new curvy and colorful new Office icons, and now it’s revealing a set of design concepts it experimented with before finalizing these new icons. Some of the concepts are radically different from what Microsoft is shipping, with design explorations for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint that more closely resemble the Office […]
Apple exec on Apple TV rebranding: ‘let’s just do it’
We have some new insight into Apple’s muddled rebrand of Apple TV Plus to Apple TV, courtesy of an interview with the company’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue. Speaking on The Town podcast, Cue said that no consultants were involved, and that it was a collective decision to drop the “Plus” from the […]
Trump's anti-sustainability agenda comes to Eurozone

ESG kicked like a 'toxic political football' amid greenwashing

Canalys Forums 2025  US President Donald Trump released a wrecking ball that smashed through environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies stateside – and it's now swinging across the Atlantic, according to analysts.…

Waymo’s robotaxis are coming to London
London’s iconic black cabs could soon face a new rival: Waymo. The Alphabet-owned company said today it intends to launch a fully driverless robotaxi service in London, starting in 2026 — marking its first effort to expand internationally. The UK currently doesn’t have any fully driverless vehicles on the road. The government has said it will […]
UK government's £45B AI savings pitch built on broad-brush guesswork, MPs told

Think tank cautions that without job cuts or capital savings, the math doesn't add up

UK government's plans to save £45 billion through the application of AI in the public sector lack clarity and are based on broad-brush assumptions, Members of Parliament have heard.…

AI is the flying car of the mind: An irresistible idea nobody knows how to land or manage

And which will crash, repeatedly, until users learn how to handle it safely

Column  Steve Jobs probably didn't remember how many times he skinned his knees learning to ride a bike before describing a personal computer as a "bicycle for the mind." Jobs' point was that both tools help us to go further, faster, with just a little extra effort.…

Salesforce pumps the dream of AI agents as helpers, not replacements

In the Agentic Enterprise, "AI doesn’t replace people, it elevates them"

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff heralded the arrival of the agentic era during his keynote at the CRM giant's annual Dreamforce conference.…

Samsung officially teases Moohan headset launch for next week
Samsung is finally about to reveal more details about its Project Moohan mixed reality headset. The company just announced a new “Worlds Wide Open” Galaxy event that will take place on October 21st at 10PM ET, where it’s promising to reveal details about the device. The headset will run on Android XR, a new mixed […]
Frightful Patch Tuesday gives admins a scare with 175+ Microsoft CVEs, 3 under attack

Plus: Adobe, SAP, Ivanti offer treats, not tricks

Spooky season is in full swing, and this extends to Microsoft's October Patch Tuesday with security updates for a frightful 175 Microsoft vulnerabilities, plus an additional 21 non-Microsoft CVEs. And even scarier than the sheer number of bugs: three are listed as under attack, with three others publicly known, and 17 deemed critical security holes.…

Netflix is making a big bet on video podcasts
Netflix is no longer just a home for TV shows, movies, documentaries, and live WWE matches — soon, you’ll be able to stream video podcasts, too. The streaming giant announced on Tuesday that it’s partnering with Spotify’s podcast studio and The Ringer to offer 16 series on its platform, including The Bill Simmons Podcast, Conspiracy […]
Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first to ‘go up in smoke during a bend test,’ JerryRigEverything says
Google might have yet another Pixel with a battery problem, and this time, affecting the brand new Pixel 10 Pro Fold. In a video published today, YouTuber JerryRigEverything, aka Zack Nelson, subjected the foldable to his usual durability tests, but as he’s filming his bend test — after having already broken the phone open — […]
CISA cuts more staff and reassigns others as government stays shut down

America's main cybersecurity agency has lost almost 1,000 people this year

The Trump administration has continued to cut staff at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and is reportedly reassigning others, further imperiling the US' cybersecurity posture. …

Framework flame war erupts over support of politically polarizing Linux projects

Laptop maker's apolitical endorsement of politically contentious projects meets resistance

Six days ago, upgradeable laptop maker Framework tried to convince its fractious user community to live in a "big tent" after a Debian developer objected to the company's sponsorship of Hyprland and its social media promotion of Omarchy, with both projects associated with politically polarizing viewpoints.…

18 zettaFLOPS of new AI compute coming online from Oracle late next year

New clusters to feature 800,000 Nvidia Blackwell and 50,000 AMD Instinct MI450X GPUs

Oracle on Tuesday revealed it would field more than 18 zettaFLOPS worth of AI infrastructure from Nvidia and AMD by the second half of next year.…

YouTube has a new video player
YouTube is updating the look of the video player to be “cleaner and more immersive” beginning this week. “This includes updated controls and new icons to make the viewing experience more visually satisfying while obscuring less content,” YouTube says. It started testing changes to the player earlier this year. A screenshot from YouTube shows how […]
Facebook removes ICE-tracking page after US government ‘outreach’
Meta has removed a Facebook page dedicated to tracking Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action in Chicago after the Justice Department got involved.  Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X Tuesday that Facebook had taken down an unnamed “large group page that was being used to dox and target” ICE agents after outreach from the […]
Some like it bot! ChatGPT promises AI-rotica is coming for verified adults

Maybe this will bring in some actual profit?

OpenAI has mitigated ChatGPT behavior that might exacerbate users' mental health issues, claims CEO Sam Altman, so the natural next step is to make ChatGPT act more human again - complete with the ability to generate "erotica for verified adults."…

Apple teases M5 MacBook
Apple is teasing the imminent launch of a new MacBook with an M5 chip. In an X post, Apple SVP of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak wrote that “something powerful is coming,” and a short video in the post includes the words “coming soon” and a silhouette of an Apple laptop. Joswiak’s post also includes the […]
Sam Altman says ChatGPT will soon sext with verified adults
OpenAI will soon allow “erotica” for ChatGPT users who verify their age on the platform. In an X post on Tuesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company will add support for mature conversations when it launches age-gating in December. “As we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our ‘treat adult users […]
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