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Showing posts from October, 2025

What is Bending Spoons? Everything to know about AOL’s acquirer

Bending Spoons remains largely unknown, even as its portfolio of products has served more than a billion people. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/U8nP0KX via IFTTT

Here’s how you can score a Mint Mobile plan for just $10 per month

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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Mint Mobile has made a name for itself as one of the most recognizable prepaid carriers in the US, thanks in part to Ryan Reynolds’ ads and its simple approach to mobile plans. It runs on the T-Mobile network, but as an MVNO, it already  undercuts the big three networks by a wide margin. However, a new offer that you won’t see advertised on the site makes its 12-month plans even cheaper. For a limited time, new customers can get 30% off all 12-month fixed-data plans using the code YEAROFMINT . That drops the 5GB plan from $15 to $10.50 per month, paid upfront for the year. The code should automatically apply if you use this link or widget below, but it’s worth noting down just in case. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/h4IEViF via IFTTT

US officials want to ban your Wi-Fi router for national security reasons

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Credit: Amazon TL;DR The Department of Commerce (DOC) has reportedly proposed a ban on the sales of TP-Link routers in the US. The proposal is reportedly backed by several federal agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and Defense. The DOC is concerned that TP-Link routers pose a national security threat to the US, given the company’s Chinese origins. The US Department of Commerce (DOC) has floated a proposal against the sale and use of TP-Link products in the country, citing national security concerns. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/gi2EPlb via IFTTT

Scenes from TechCrunch Disrupt

Thanks to everyone who made this year's San Francisco event what it was -- and to the 10,000 of you who filled the halls, made the connections, and left with more than you came with. Couldn't make it? These images tell part of the story. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/hyu45Lq via IFTTT

Chrome’s latest experiment could change how you start a search

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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Chrome Canary is testing new “Nano Banana” and “Deep Search” buttons that plug AI prompts directly into the search box. Nano Banana appears to cue image generation, while Deep Search suggests Gemini-powered research, with both currently requiring Chrome flags to enable. The features are unstable and do little right now, but they signal Google’s push to make Chrome more AI-driven. Google Chrome is testing two bold new buttons under its search box: Nano Banana and Deep Search. First spotted by Windows Report , the update appears in the Chrome Canary test build and looks like another step toward making Chrome a more AI-forward browser. These new chips sit just below the “Ask Google” field on a new tab page, alongside the existing AI Mode button that was added earlier this year . from Android Authority https://ift.tt/WV7a6YB via IFTTT

Microsoft’s agent platform play

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Jay Parikh in 2018. | Photo: Andrej Sokolow / Getty Images This is an excerpt of Sources by Alex Heath , a newsletter about AI and the tech industry, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. To understand how Microsoft sees its role in the AI race, look at what was announced at the company's GitHub Universe developer conference on Tuesday in San Francisco. The event marked a turning point for one of Microsoft's most important but often under-analyzed assets. GitHub, which is used by more than 180 million developers, wants to be the central platform for AI coding agents. Its new Agent HQ interface lets outside coding assistants, including OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code, plu … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/qdFG9w8 via IFTTT

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko is a big fan of agentic coding

Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt, Yakovenko said he's become increasingly comfortable taking a back seat in software development tasks. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/VlUYIsO via IFTTT

Tata Motors confirms it fixed security flaws, which exposed company and customer data

A security researcher found the Indian automotive giant exposing personal information of its customers, internal company reports, and dealers’ data. Tata confirmed it fixed the issues. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/hIJ0bjL via IFTTT

‘Silicon Valley’ star Thomas Middleditch makes a surprise appearance at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Actor Thomas Middleditch had a planned takeover of Australian startup Othelia’s presentation at the pitch showcase stage.  from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/sRJB1HY via IFTTT

The best foldable phone you can buy

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A foldable phone isn’t for the faint of heart. They’re generally heavier, pricier, and have less capable cameras than a standard slab-style phone. They’re also still not as durable as regular smartphones, though they’re not nearly as fragile as they once were . In fact, thanks to Google, we finally have a foldable phone we can take with us to the beach. There are basically two kinds of foldables at the moment — the kind that fold like books and the ones that fold clamshell style, like your old flip phone. Here’s how I think of it: a book-style foldable is like a phone plus a tablet , and a flip-style foldable is a phone plus a smartwatch. The book foldables provide an outer screen for all your regular phone needs, and then a tablet-like inner screen when you want, well, more screen. Flip phones come with a smaller secondary display on the outer panel that’s useful for checking information quickly. When you need to do regular phone stuff, you unfold it. So while they all fit in on...

Roelof Botha explains why Sequoia supports Shaun Maguire after COO quit

Sequoia's managing partner Roelof Botha defended his colleague's controversial comments that sparked an online backlash, arguing that the VC firm needs "spiky" people. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/YhnydvT via IFTTT

How to sign up for Amazon Prime

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Can you believe that the holiday season is already creeping up on us? I can’t. But at least that means we can begin looking forward to all the deals we’re likely to see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the bulk of which will drop on November 28th. Everything from gaming gear and headphones to the latest smart home tech — well, almost everything — will be on sale, including plenty of Verge favorites. But be aware: some of the best deals will only be available for Amazon Prime subscribers . Fortunately, if you’re interested in all of Amazon’s discounted goodies but haven’t signed up for Prime, don’t worry — Amazon makes it very easy to lock in a premium account. If you’re attracted by the goodies being offered but haven’t signed up for Prime, Amazon makes it very easy Besides giving access to Prime Day bargains, Amazon includes a bunch of features to entice people to sign up for its Prime service. These include access to its streaming video ...

Samsung’s tri-fold may launch very soon, but miss a key market

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TL;DR Samsung is expected to unveil its tri-fold foldable later this week at a business summit in Korea. The phone may be initially limited to Asian markets — particularly South Korea, China, Singapore, and Taiwan. Despite previous reports of a launch in the US, Samsung may choose not to launch it beyond the “Greater China” region. 2025 appears to be the year of new products from Samsung. After experimenting with the Galaxy S25 Edge earlier this year, Samsung released its first XR (extended reality) headset earlier this month. Very soon, it may unveil its most hyped device of the year in the form of the triple-folding smartphone. And, as per recent reports, we may not have to wait much longer to witness this new marvel. As per industry sources, Samsung’s tri-fold is set to make its official appearance as early as this week. The Korea Herald reports the (supposedly named) Galaxy Z TriFold will be unveiled at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO summit, scheduled ...

ARMSX2, the future of PS2 emulation on Android, gets first big release

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Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR The ARMSX2 emulator for Android has just received its V1.0 release on GitHub, with a Play Store release coming later this week. The app differs from NetherSX2 due to its open-source nature and its use of a more recent foundation. NetherSX2 still offers better performance, though, while this ARMSX2 release had a major bug for some. PS2 emulation on Android has been in a strange place since the pioneering AetherSX2 app was abandoned. Some developers took over this shuttered project and made impressive changes to it (resulting in NetherSX2), but the somewhat closed nature and aging foundation suggest this isn’t a long-term solution. Fortunately, the ARMSX2 emulator has been in testing for a while, and it’s finally received a version 1.0 release. Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority ? from Android Authority https://ift.tt/dSThOGV via IFTTT

It’s almost 2026, and Pixels still don’t seem to deliver notifications on time

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Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Pixel users are still reporting problems with delayed notifications, with the Pixel 10 series being the latest to face the issue. Users on Reddit say their Pixels are struggling with severely delayed Google Home and other alerts. Delayed notifications has been a long-standing problem on Pixel phones. Seemingly, the only way to really fix it involves disabling a feature called Doze. Fresh reports from Pixel 10 users suggest that Google’s notification woes aren’t going anywhere. Users on Reddit say their new phones are struggling with severely delayed Google Home alerts, with some claiming that notifications only come in after unlocking the device. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/Km3XwBE via IFTTT

Accel and Prosus team up to back early-stage Indian startups

Prosus will match Accel's investment in Indian startups under this partnership. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/xEYD6sa via IFTTT

I use YouTube daily and the new video UI is driving me nuts

Like many of you reading this, I use YouTube multiple times per day. And for the past week, anytime I’ve watched YouTube on my computer, I’ve been distracted by the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad new UI. Last Tuesday, Google announced a series of significant visual changes for YouTube , the most prominent being a redesigned video player. Some people have had access to it for a couple of months, but it’s now officially available to the masses, and I’ve been living with it for a little over a week. And, simply put, I really don’t like it. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/97rS8IU via IFTTT

If the Galaxy S26 leaks are true, I’d tell small phone fans to buy this instead

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Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority I was cautiously optimistic when I heard that Samsung might overhaul its Galaxy S26 series lineup. What especially caught my eye was evidence that Samsung was planning to launch a Galaxy S26 Pro in place of the expected Galaxy S26. The name alone suggested that we were looking at a more feature-packed base model. That would be a long-overdue move as the base Galaxy S flagship has always been small yet bereft of upgrades. Unfortunately, spec leaks point to anything but a Pro handset. Furthermore, a recent leak also suggests that the entry-level model will revert to the standard Galaxy S26 name rather than the Pro moniker. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/d36Keg7 via IFTTT

My browser’s best productivity hack was hiding right under my nose

There are a variety of ways I have been trying to improve my productivity on my browser, especially after making the switch away from Chrome . I’ve tried read-it-later apps, a new approach to bookmarks, and some useful extensions. But recently, I discovered a tool that’s not only already built into browsers like Chrome and Brave but is also simple enough to fit seamlessly into my workflow. This feature is called custom search shortcuts, and it has been hiding under my nose for years. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/RWY1Pfc via IFTTT

Google Home’s latest update fixes annoying bugs you probably noticed after the big revamp

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Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is rolling out version 4.1 of the Google Home app. This is the first update after the recent Google Home redesign that rolled out with version 4.0. The changelog for the latest update notes that the app is getting several improvements and fixes based on user feedback. Google has released version 4.1 of the Google Home app, marking the first major update since the app’s big redesign earlier this month. The company says it’s listening to user feedback and is rolling out several small but meaningful improvements to the Google Home experience. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/NQrtDRb via IFTTT

Musk’s ad chief at X departs after just 10 months

The revolving door reportedly reflects deeper tensions. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/XAxJHcO via IFTTT

Bored Ape Yacht Club is making a comeback — as a metaverse

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It's dusk, and bugs are chirping all around me. I'm wandering through the middle of a big, virtual swamp toward the sound of thumping bass off in the distance. There isn't much else nearby - some trees, a couple of other players. It's mostly just me and the sound emanating from a large wooden structure strung up with lights sitting farther out into the swamp. When I finally arrive, it rises above me: the official clubhouse of the Bored Ape Yacht Club. I make for the door to head inside. Except I find I can't get access; even though the lights are on in the house, the doors don't actually open. There's nothing to do. These were my first ste … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/bXWPKyk via IFTTT

Sam Altman’s next startup eyes using sound waves to read your brain

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This is an excerpt of Sources by Alex Heath , a newsletter about AI and the tech industry, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week. Sam Altman has tapped Mikhail Shapiro, an award-winning biomolecular engineer, to join the Merge Labs brain-computer interface startup he's set to announce soon with co-founder Alex Blania. While Shapiro's official title is unclear, sources say he will be part of Merge's founding team and has been positioned as a key leader in talks with investors. Those talks are ongoing, but Merge expects to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from OpenAI and others, as The Financial Times earlier reported. S … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/QJHtyo7 via IFTTT

Apple says Jon Prosser ‘has not indicated’ when he may respond to lawsuit

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Earlier this week, Jon Prosser, who is being sued by Apple for allegedly stealing trade secrets, told The Verge that he has been “in active communications with Apple since the beginning stages of this case.” But Apple, in a new filing on Thursday that was reported on by MacRumors , said that while Prosser has “publicly acknowledged” Apple’s complaint, he “has not indicated whether he will file a response to it or, if so, by when.” Prosser didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment from The Verge . Apple sued Prosser, who posted videos earlier this year showing off features that would debut in iOS 26 ahead of their official announcement, and another defendant, Michael Ramacciotti, in July . The company alleged that Prosser and Ramacciotti had “a coordinated scheme to break into an Apple development iPhone, steal Apple’s trade secrets, and profit from the theft.” A clerk already entered a default against Prosser last week, which means he hasn’t responded to the lawsuit and th...

The best Sonos speakers to buy in 2025

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After the self-induced tumult Sonos has gone through this year, I can understand why some people are reluctant to spend money on the company’s products. But newly appointed CEO Tom Conrad has shown that he’s determined to get back on track and revitalize Sonos as the leading whole-home audio brand. The contentious mobile app is in a much better place now than it was last year, though some customers still encounter bugs and the frustration of speakers randomly vanishing from their system. It’s not all roses, but the situation is moving in the right direction — and I took Sonos’ decision to cancel its video player as a promising sign of renewed focus.  I’m not about to sell any of my Sonos gear. For one, the company’s whole-home platform offers conveniences that competitors don’t match — at least not without hassle. Most of the time, I’m streaming from Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube Music. But if I’m watching a sports game on my TV, I can pipe the audio from my Sonos soundbar ...

With an Intel recovery underway, all eyes turn to its foundry business

Intel added $20 billion to its balance sheet in Q3 but didn't offer many details on the progress of its floundering foundry business. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/EQ49xuv via IFTTT

Ford isn’t going to make more F-150 Lightnings for a while

Ford is prioritizing its gas and hybrid F-150 trucks instead. from TechCrunch https://ift.tt/cysvDPE via IFTTT

Intel’s tick-tock isn’t coming back, and everything else I just learned

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With Windows 10 on its last legs , Intel is looking forward to the PC industry growing more than it has in years - the most since 2021, when the covid-19 pandemic revived the industry by creating a huge surge in demand . But it seems the struggling Intel, which just received lifelines from Nvidia , Softbank , and the US government , isn't fully ready to take advantage and is prioritizing AI instead. Today on the company's Q3 2025 earnings call , where Intel saw its first profit in nearly two years due primarily to those lifelines, CEO Lip-Bu Tan and CFO David Zinsner explained how the company doesn't yet have the chips. It's currently seeing shor … Read the full story at The Verge. from The Verge https://ift.tt/crCHJwm via IFTTT

It looks like Google just locked out GrapheneOS users from the Pixel Camera app

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Credit: Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority TL;DR The new Pixel Camera 10.x update now requires Google Play Services, reportedly causing crashes on GrapheneOS and other de-Googled systems. Users can fix this by rolling back to version 9.9.106.773153235.19 of the app. Users on Reddit point out that if you’re running a sandboxed Google Play Store and Play Services on your Pixel with GrapheneOS, you’ll still be able to use the latest version of the Pixel Camera app. Google’s latest Pixel Camera update (version 10.x) apparently doesn’t play nice with privacy-focused operating systems. According to a report from Kuketz Blog , the new Pixel Camera app now has a hard dependency on Google Play Services. That means if you’re using GrapheneOS or another de-Googled system, the app will probably crash or fail to launch entirely. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/Lhf8TQm via IFTTT

One smart ring brand is gone from the US, and another just cut a deal

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Credit: Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority TL;DR The US International Trade Commission has finalized its ruling banning Ultrahuman smart rings from being sold in the US. Oura has reached a settlement with RingConn, allowing the company to keep selling its rings under a licensing agreement. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued its final ruling in Oura’s patent case against rival smart ring maker Ultrahuman. from Android Authority https://ift.tt/hBZakpf via IFTTT

Amazon claims the headline isn’t robots taking jobs as it reveals new cost-cutting robots

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A New York Times report on Tuesday cited internal Amazon documents touting how its shift into automation could help it sell more products without hiring more people, but today the company has issued a PR blast about robotics and delivery tech that is much sunnier . Along with a tease of AI-connected augmented reality smart glasses and VR training for its drivers, Amazon showed off 10 robots it’s using or testing right now (it didn’t mention whether any of them had issues during the recent AWS outage). In one post , Amazon highlighted Blue Jay, a robot it calls “an extra set of hands that helps employees with tasks that involve reaching and lifting,” and its agentic AI system Project Eluna, which “acts like an extra teammate, helping reduce that cognitive load” while optimizing sorting to reduce bottlenecks. Blue Jay can move 75 percent of the types of items Amazon stores, and is eventually supposed to be a “core technology” powering Same-Day delivery sites. The company says it d...