Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple is planning an Oct. 13 push into smart-home hardware, including a hub device, refreshed HomePod mini colors and a new Apple TV with Siri AI support.
Engadget says the new stick is faster and will retail for $60. The Verge reports that Amazon is also launching a redesigned Fire TV remote with a new shape and clickier controls.
DoorDash has unveiled an AI ordering agent that works inside Apple Messages, letting US waitlist users place food orders by text and check out with saved payment methods.
Samsung launched two new flagship tablets, the Galaxy Tab S12 Plus and Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra, and there is no base Tab S12 in this lineup.
Samsung has announced the Galaxy SmartTag 3, a third-generation Bluetooth tracker with a smaller design and improved battery life.
Meta is adding an AI creative assistant to Instagram’s Edits app that uses a creator’s account metrics to suggest video ideas, hooks, captions, audio and scripts, with free use capped by a daily prompt limit and extra access tied to Meta One.
The New York Times reports Meta sought billions in research tax credits for A.I. data center expansion, classifying multibillion-dollar facilities as “pilot models” while warning in filings that the savings could be overturned by the IRS.
The company is also further restricting Old Reddit, limiting it to moderators and users with recent prior use.
Google is reportedly running a pilot that pays roughly 100 publishers based on how much their content contributes to AI Overviews, AI Mode in Search and Gemini.
TechCrunch reports Tinder is rolling out Group Hangouts, a feature that lets groups of friends discover other groups around shared activities and connect in a shared chat to make plans together.
Aimed at ages 7 to 13, the device offers calling, maps and tap-to-pay while limiting contacts to parent-approved people.
A fake iPhone Duo preorder site is reportedly using the DarkSword exploit chain to target vulnerable iPhones. CNET and 9to5Mac report that just visiting the page can launch the attack attempt, which may seek crypto wallet data and other sensitive information.
Xbox chief Asha Sharma denied reports that Microsoft is considering selling off or spinning out Xbox, saying, “Xbox is not for sale.”
The Steam app loads a separately installed GitHub shader through BGFX, while the effect itself is not bundled with the update.
9to5Google reports the 7.0 beta adds a floating translucent bottom bar and broader interface updates on Android.
Lux Optics’ Halide camera app received an update that adds support for the iPhone 18 Pro’s variable aperture on the main camera.
The release post describes TaskSmith as a specialized orchestrator, rather than a general coding agent with a long prompt.
OpenAI delayed the release of GPT-6.1 Astra over security concerns voiced by its researchers.
The free October 16 event at The Midway is billed as Open Source AI Week’s opening-night kickoff.
In its State of Markets discussion, a16z projects that the five largest hyperscalers will spend about $780 billion on capital expenditures in 2026. It says 69% of S&P 500 companies have live AI deployments, but just 2% have AI doing a job they’d notice if it stopped.
