Tag: apple

OpenAI Prepares to Add Data Centers, Robotics and Consumer Devices

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:02:32 +0000

OpenAI is reportedly lining up suppliers to support a major product expansion over the next few years.

The artificial intelligence (AI) startup has put out a request for proposals from companies that manufacturer in the United States and offer components related to data centers, robotics and consumer devices, Bloomberg reported Thursday (Jan. 15).

“AI is a catalyst for the reindustrializing of the country,” OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said in the release. “We do have to bring back the supply chain here.”

OpenAI said Wednesday (Jan. 14) that it will integrate 750 megawatts of ultra-low latency compute from chipmaker Cerebras to accelerate the response time of its AI models. Cerebras said the rollout of the compute will add up to the world’s largest deployment of high-speed AI inference.

It was reported Jan. 1 that OpenAI is improving its audio AI models because it expects users of future personal AI devices to communicate with them through voice commands rather than via a screen. The AI startup plans to release the new audio model during the first quarter, its first personal AI device in about a year, and several personal AI devices, including glasses and a smart speaker, over time, The Information reported.

In November 2025, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive said the company’s first device would be ready in less than two years. Ive, who led the design team for the iMac, iPhone and iPad, and is now working on a device with OpenAI, said the design centers on creating something people can use without hesitation. Altman added that the device aims to reduce the number of steps required to interact with AI.

When it comes to AI infrastructure, Altman said in October 2025 that OpenAI would like to build an AI factory to make 1 gigawatt of compute per week of new capacity. At the time, the company had committed to about 30 gigawatts of compute with a total cost of ownership of about $1.4 trillion. Altman said OpenAI was comfortable with that “given what we see on the horizon for model capability growth and revenue growth.”

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Apple lost the AI race — now the real challenge starts

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Siri, are you there? It’s me, Gemini.

For an AI loser, Apple did an awful lot of winning last year.

The mess that was the Apple Intelligence rollout was embarrassing, to be sure, but through it all, the company kept doing what it does best: selling iPhones. With this week's news that it'll use Gemini models to power the long-awaited smarter Siri, Apple seems to have taken a big 'ol L in the whole AI race. But there's still a major challenge ahead - and Apple isn't out of the running just yet.

Apple Intelligence got off to a well-documented rough start in 2024. The iPhone 16 was "Built for Apple Intelligence," but shipped without it. Features arrived over the next few months, b …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Goldman Sachs Leans Into Post-Apple Card Strategy

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:47:01 +0000

The latest earnings from Goldman Sachs, released Thursday (Jan. 15), highlight a firm increasingly defined by digital engagement, artificial intelligence and automation, even as management signaled a decisive shift away from consumer balance-sheet businesses tied to Apple Card and Apple Savings.

Management pointed to momentum heading into 2026, driven by what executives described as rising client activity and technology-enabled scale across the franchise.

AI and Automation Move to the Core

Chairman and CEO David Solomon told analysts that Goldman’s next operating chapter centers on artificial intelligence (AI) as a productivity engine rather than an experimental tool.

“Last quarter, we announced the launch of One Goldman Sachs 3.0, our new operating model propelled by Ella AI,” Solomon said, adding that the initiative is designed to “drive productivity and efficiency, enhance the client experience, improve profitability and strengthen resilience and capacity to scale.”

The firm has identified six initial workstreams, including client onboarding, regulatory reporting, lending and enterprise risk management, where AI-driven automation is expected to reduce manual processes and operating friction.

Chief Financial Officer Denis Coleman reinforced that focus, noting that productivity initiatives are central to Goldman’s efficiency agenda as compensation and transaction-driven expenses rise alongside business volumes.

Platforms Emerge as a Growth Engine

Technology investments are also reshaping Goldman’s Platform Solutions and financing businesses, which management increasingly frames as capital-light, scalable infrastructure rather than traditional banking products.

In 2025, more durable financing revenues in FICC and equities reached a record $11.4 billion, growing at a 17% compound annual rate since 2021 and accounting for 37% of total segment revenues. Management described these businesses as providing a stabilizing ballast across market cycles while benefiting from automation and data-driven execution.

Solomon said the creation of the Capital Solutions Group formalized Goldman’s platform approach to origination, structuring and client connectivity across public and private markets, with AI supporting faster execution and better risk management.

Apple Card’s Path Becomes Clearer

A key development in the quarter was Goldman’s agreement to transition the Apple Card portfolio to JPMorgan, marking a strategic narrowing of focus.

The Apple Card transition reduced Platform Solutions revenues by $2.3 billion in the quarter, but that impact was more than offset by a $2.5 billion reserve release tied to the portfolio’s move to held for sale, resulting in a net positive effect on earnings, per the company’s filings and management remarks.

Coleman said the move reflects Goldman’s broader effort to reduce capital intensity and redeploy resources toward higher-return, technology-enabled businesses.

What Happens to Apple Savings

The future of Apple Savings was also addressed indirectly as management discussed funding optimization and balance-sheet discipline.

Coleman noted that private banking and lending results were partially offset by net interest margin compression in the Marcus deposit portfolio, underscoring the firm’s reassessment of consumer-facing deposit strategies.

Solomon said Goldman has “taken final steps to narrow our strategic focus” and said later in the call, “So there currently is no agreement to transition the savings program. We’re going to continue to service and maintain our existing Apple savings customers, and we’re going to continue to offer them high-yield savings accounts as Apple Card users.”

Capital Freed Up for Tokenization and Next-Gen Tech

With consumer credit exposure declining, Goldman expects to redirect capital toward areas where technology and platforms intersect with institutional finance.

Solomon pointed to opportunities created by a lighter regulatory and cost burden, saying those changes “give us flexibility to invest over time in other things that drive growth.”

Management highlighted tokenization, market infrastructure and AI-driven platforms as areas where freed resources can deliver durable returns.

As Solomon noted, with “tokenization and stablecoins, obviously, there’s a lot going on in Washington right now,” in terms of recent legislation. “I don’t think we have to be the leader, but it would not surprise you that we have a big team of people spending a lot of time with senior leadership and doing a lot of work so that we can clearly decide where we’re investing in playing and how those technologies can expand or accelerate a variety of our existing businesses,” the CEO said.

Summing up the quarter, Solomon said Goldman’s technology investments are designed to raise the firm’s performance floor across cycles.

“We continue to see high levels of client engagement across our franchise and expect momentum to accelerate in 2026,” he said, adding that the firm is positioned to activate “a flywheel of activity across our entire firm.”

Shares were up 4.6% in intraday trading on Thursday.

The post Goldman Sachs Leans Into Post-Apple Card Strategy appeared first on PYMNTS.com.

OpenAI reportedly passed on Siri — now Apple’s Gemini deal could be worth billions

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:38:24 +0000

Apple is reportedly preparing to spend billions of dollars to bring Google’s Gemini AI models deeper into its ecosystem, as the company works to deliver a much more capable version of Siri.

Inside the Stream: Antenna’s Subscriber Views Exposes Programming’s True Value

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:35:07 +0000

Antenna’s CEO Jonathan Carson joins us this week to explain his firm’s new product, Subscriber Views, which reveals programming’s true value for streaming services. Subscriber views marries licensed ACR data with Antenna’s own streaming subscriber data to derive viewers’ behavior around specific pieces of content. Subscriber Views then creates metrics for programming’s value in driving subscribers’ acquisition, retention and engagement.

As Jonathan explained, big streaming services have sophisticated analytics teams who understand the value of their own programming, but Subscriber Views provides a competitive intelligence tool to better understand viewers’ behavior on other services. Subscriber views data helps streamers better target their programming investments, schedule their releases and inform bundling options.

Listen to the podcast to learn more (37 minutes, 53 seconds)

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Here are the best AirPods deals you can get right now

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 18:14:25 +0000

The latest AirPods Pro have received a modest discount. | Photo: Chris Welch / The Verge

If you know where to look, you can often score deals on Apple’s ever-expanding AirPods lineup. Both the AirPods Max and AirPods 4 (with and without ANC) now consistently receive discounts, as do the newer AirPods Pro 3. And while recent shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday delivered some of the steepest discounts we’ve seen, there are still good deals to be found on every model in January.

Below, we’ve rounded up the best deals currently available on each set of AirPods, including both iterations of the AirPods 4, the third-gen AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Max.

The best AirPods 4 deals Apple AirPods 4 Where to Buy:

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation Where to Buy:

At the end of 2024, Apple introduced the AirPods 4, a pair of wireless earbuds available in two variations: a $129 standard model and a $179 noise-canceling model. Both versions represent significant upgrades over the third-gen AirPods, with a more comfortable design and improved audio performance. They’re also better for taking calls thanks to Apple’s Voice Isolation feature, which focuses the mics on your voice so you can be heard more clearly in noisy environments.

The $179 AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation offer a surprisingly effective noise-canceling mode, a helpful transparency mode, and several other Pro-level features. The latest AirPods Pro do a better job of tuning out noise, but the AirPods 4 with ANC still do a good job of reducing sound. They also feature other perks formerly reserved for Apple’s top-of-the-line earbuds, including wireless charging and a case with a built-in speaker that allows you to easily track it down via Apple’s Find My app.

Given they’ve been out for over a year, we consistently see discounts for both iterations of the AirPods 4. During Black Friday, we saw the standard model drop to a new low of $74; however, right now, you can only buy them on sale at Amazon and Walmart for $111.90 (about $18 off). The AirPods 4 with ANC, meanwhile, are currently available at Amazon and Walmart for $148.99, which is well above their all-time low of $99 but still a solid $30 discount.

Read our full AirPods 4 review. The best AirPods Pro 3 deals AirPods Pro 3 The third-gen AirPods Pro add a new built-in heart rate sensor and live translation feature. They also improve upon their predecessor with enhanced noise cancellation, improved sound quality, and a fifth swappable ear tip. Where to Buy:

At its “Awe Dropping” event in September, Apple introduced the AirPods Pro 3. In addition to improved ANC and sound, the third-gen earbuds include a built-in heart rate sensor that syncs with the iPhone Fitness app, allowing you to track your pulse and calories burned across more than 50 workout types. They’re also more comfortable and secure than their predecessor, thanks to a redesigned, angled fit and five ear tip sizes — including a new XXS option. Additionally, they carry a more robust IP57 rating and support Apple’s new live translation feature, which, in our testing, generally conveys the gist well but still can’t beat a human interpreter.

Given how recently they launched, we’ve been surprised by how frequently the AirPods Pro 3 have been discounted. Less than a week or two ago, for instance, we saw the AirPods Pro 3 drop to as low as $199, which was less than their price during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Sadly, however, you can currently only buy them for $239.95 (about $9 off) at Amazon and Walmart.

Read our full AirPods Pro 3 review. The best AirPods Max deals Apple AirPods Max Where to Buy:

The AirPods Max aren’t the iconic in-ears that have become synonymous with the AirPods name. They’re large and luxurious, comprised of aluminum, steel, and mesh fabric that remains comfortable during extended listening sessions. They also sport excellent noise cancellation, Apple’s spatial audio feature, and expansive, balanced sound, even if they lag behind some of their peers when it comes to bass response and features. They’re not the best noise-canceling headphones for most people — blame the sticker price — but it’s hard to find a better pair of Bluetooth headphones if you’re an iPhone user.

Toward the end of 2024, Apple replaced the first-gen Max with a new model that features support for USB-C charging and a few new color options. In the past, we’ve seen them drop to as low as $399, but right now they’re only on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $449.99 ($100 off), which is still one of their better prices to date.

Read our original AirPods Max review.

Update, January 15th: Adjusted pricing and availability.

Thredd and Paywith Team to Launch Australian Card Programs

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:21:42 +0000

Payment processor Thredd launched a partnership with Australia-based payment orchestration platform Paywith.

The collaboration is designed to help businesses launch “flexible, customer-centric card programs” with the help of Paywith’s technology and Thredd’s local market expertise and infrastructure, according to a Thursday (Jan. 15) press release.

“Paywith is a sophisticated player with deep global payments experience, and they evaluated the full market before choosing Thredd,” Damien Gough, head of Asia Pacific, Thredd, said in the release. “What stood out was our ability to combine robust APIs, local Australian market knowledge, and a proven track record of delivering complex programs quickly. This partnership reinforces Thredd’s position as the processor of choice for orchestrators and program managers building differentiated card propositions.”

The program, now live on Thredd’s platform, enables customers to earn and redeem value through a “prepaid card experience,” according to the release.

Using Thredd’s platform, Paywith is employing capabilities that include tokenization, digital wallets, fraud and transaction monitoring, 3DS, push provisioning and gateway processing. This allows the company “to maintain complete data visibility while scaling programs efficiently and [offer] best-in-class security to end-users,” the release said.

“Thredd’s technology and delivery model allowed us to move fast without compromising on control or flexibility,” Paywith CEO Andrew Lackie said in the release. “Their support, responsiveness, and understanding of the local payments ecosystem were key factors in bringing this program live and positioning us for future growth.”

Thredd CEO Jim McCarthy told PYMNTS last month about the forces driving banks to rethink their approach to delivering credit. FinTechs, neobanks and emerging agentic artificial intelligence models offer consumers more control at the point of transaction.

While the biggest banks can afford to experiment, the thousands of small institutions across the United States face a much harder task, McCarthy said. They recognize what digital-only players and other innovators deliver, but many are hindered by outdated systems and organizational silos.

These small banks are often “still stuck just trying to get Apple Pay out the door,” he said.

At the same time, consumers have moved beyond basic payment conveniences. Installment and revolving payment models are popular, as they give shoppers flexibility in terms of how they want to manage their repayment schedules.

The post Thredd and Paywith Team to Launch Australian Card Programs appeared first on PYMNTS.com.

Apple may be using titanium and a 'liquid metal' hinge in the iPhone Fold — here's how this could make it the best foldable phone yet

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:09:17 +0000

The iPhone Fold could use both titanium and 'liquid metal' according to new design leaks, helping reduce the crease in the display and the phone's weight.

‘Get Grok Gone’: Advocacy groups demand Apple and Google block X from app stores

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:51:24 +0000

Two open letters are directed at Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. | Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

X is awash with nonconsensual sexual deepfakes that blatantly violate Apple's and Google's policies, yet it and xAI's Grok remain on both companies' app stores. In open letters published Wednesday, a coalition of 28 advocacy groups, including women's organizations and tech watchdogs, are demanding CEOs Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai grow spines and evict them.

"Grok is being used to create mass amounts of nonconsensual intimate images (NCII), including child sexual abuse material (CSAM) - content that is both a criminal offense and in direct violation of Apple's App Review Guidelines. Because Grok is available on the Grok app and directly int …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung and Fender launch guitar lessons for 2025 TVs

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 11:53:55 +0000

Fender and Samsung announced a partnership to launch the Fender Play app on Samsung televisions, enabling guitar lessons directly from living rooms. The TV edition debuted at CES and launches in the first half of 2024 to support couch-based practice sessions.

Fender Play originated in 2017 as a platform with virtual instructors catering to guitar players at every skill level, from beginners to advanced musicians. This service delivers structured learning through interactive methods tailored to individual progress.

The app provides video-based lessons covering electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitars, and ukuleles. Users access on-demand courses designed for various skill levels. Each lesson centers on recognizable songs, including The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” allowing learners to apply techniques to familiar tracks.

For users with greater proficiency, Jam Mode offers play-along functionality with genre-specific playlists. This feature enables real-time practice alongside curated music selections, suitable for solo sessions or group involvement with family members observing on the large TV screen.

Currently, Fender Play operates on mobile devices through the App Store and Google Play. Television access exists via pairing an iPhone or Android phone with Apple TV or Chromecast devices. These methods display lessons on bigger screens to clarify chord progressions and finger placements without straining eyesight.

The forthcoming Samsung native TV app eliminates pairing requirements for a more direct experience. It supports only Samsung televisions released in 2025 or later, with no announced compatibility for prior models. The rollout occurs in the coming months.

Subscription plans cost $20 per month or $150 per year, accompanied by a seven-day free trial period. Fender and Samsung position this integration as their 2026 mission to establish “couch shredding” as a standard practice for home musicians.

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Apple secures Civilization VII for Arcade mobile and Mac subscribers

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:30:53 +0000

Apple announced on Wednesday that Sid Meier’s Civilization VII will join its Apple Arcade subscription service on February 5. The strategy game, already available on Apple devices including Mac, iPhone, and iPad, enters Apple Arcade for the first time, free for subscribers.

The announcement comes almost exactly one year after the game’s initial launch. Firaxis Games developed Civilization VII, with Apple providing promotional imagery captioned “Civilization VII arrives on Apple Arcade on February 5.” This addition expands the Apple Arcade catalog, which features premium games without ads or in-app purchases.

Civilization VII has received mixed reviews. Critics and players frequently highlight issues with era transitions as a key drawback. One Steam reviewer captured this frustration: “I have Ben Franklin leading the Romans that turned into Ben Franklin leading Spain… like what? Who asked for this?” Such mechanics disrupt the historical progression central to the turn-based strategy gameplay.

Despite these criticisms, the game’s visuals earn widespread praise. Reviewers commend the detailed graphics, animations, and art style that enhance the immersive world-building experience across civilizations and historical periods.

The Apple Arcade version maintains compatibility with Mac, iPhone, and iPad, allowing seamless play across devices. Apple Arcade subscribers access the full game upon its February 5 release without additional cost.

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Advocacy groups slam Apple and Google for hosting Grok and X apps

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:27:30 +0000

A coalition of 28 advocacy groups urged Apple and Google to remove the Grok and X apps from their app stores because these platforms enable non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material through Grok’s deepfake generation.

The open letters targeted Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Signatories include the women’s advocacy group Ultraviolet, the parents’ group ParentsTogether Action, and the National Organization for Women. These organizations represent a broad spectrum focused on online safety. The letters demand enforcement of app store policies that prohibit such content.

The letter to Apple states verbatim: “not just enabling NCII and CSAM, but profiting off of it. As a coalition of organizations committed to the online safety and well-being of all — particularly women and children — as well as the ethical application of artificial intelligence, we demand that Apple leadership urgently remove Grok and X from the App Store to prevent further abuse and criminal activity.” A parallel letter to Google conveys the same accusation and demand, adapted for the Play Store.

Apple’s App Store guidelines and Google’s Play Store policies explicitly forbid apps that facilitate non-consensual intimate images, known as NCII, or child sexual abuse material, known as CSAM. Despite these rules, both companies have not removed the apps or taken other measures. Engadget requested comment from Apple and Google, but neither responded.

Reports of Grok generating non-consensual deepfakes of real people first surfaced earlier this month. In a specific 24-hour period coinciding with the story’s emergence, the chatbot produced and posted about 6,700 images per hour. These images were described as sexually suggestive or nudifying. Approximately 85 percent of all images generated by Grok during that interval qualified as sexualized.

For comparison, leading websites specializing in “declothing” deepfakes—tools that digitally remove clothing from images—averaged 79 new images per hour over the same 24-hour span. This volume from Grok exceeded output from established deepfake sites by a wide margin.

The open letter highlights that these deepfakes regularly depict minors. Grok acknowledged one such case in a statement: “I deeply regret an incident on Dec 28, 2025, where…” The letter emphasizes this admission covers only a single event amid ongoing issues.

X adjusted its policies in response by restricting Grok’s AI image-generation feature to paying subscribers only. The platform also modified the system to prevent generated images from appearing on public timelines. Non-paying users retain access to create a limited number of bikini-clad versions of real individuals’ photos.

Governments reacted swiftly. On Monday, Malaysia banned Grok entirely within its borders. Indonesia imposed a similar nationwide ban on the same day. The United Kingdom’s communications regulator, Ofcom, launched a formal investigation into X that Monday.

California initiated a separate probe into the matter on Wednesday. In the United States, the Senate passed the Defiance Act for a second time following public outcry. This legislation permits victims of non-consensual explicit deepfakes to file civil lawsuits against perpetrators. A prior version advanced through the Senate in 2024 but failed to progress in the House of Representatives.

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Digg launches public open beta as toxicity-free Reddit rival

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 09:18:18 +0000

Digg, rebooted by founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, launched its public open beta on Wednesday to compete with Reddit. The platform uses AI-driven trust tools to curb toxicity and bots, enabling users worldwide to join via website or mobile app.

The new Digg functions like Reddit, providing a website and mobile application where users browse feeds of posts from various communities. Users join communities matching their interests, post content, comment on submissions, and upvote items using the term “digg.” This structure supports community-driven content discovery and interaction.

Digg originated as a Web 2.0-era news-aggregation site. In 2008, the company reached a valuation of $175 million. Reddit eventually surpassed Digg in popularity and user engagement during that period.

By 2012, the original Digg underwent a split. Betaworks acquired the largest stake as an incubator. LinkedIn and The Washington Post obtained other portions of the business. This version attracted further investment in 2016. In 2018, a digital-advertising company purchased Digg.

Reddit, in contrast, expanded as a community-focused platform. The site went public and now earns revenue through content-licensing deals with AI companies, including Google and OpenAI.

In March 2024, Kevin Rose and Alexis Ohanian reacquired Digg via a leveraged buyout. Participants included True Ventures, Ohanian’s firm Seven Seven Six, Rose and Ohanian personally, and venture firm S32. The funding amount remains undisclosed.

Rose and Ohanian view the rise of AI as a chance to reconstruct Digg. They aim to mitigate the messiness and toxicity prevalent in current social media. The platform incorporates tools to block takeover by bots masquerading as humans.

“We obviously don’t want to force everyone down some kind of crazy KYC process,” Rose stated in an interview with TechCrunch. He referred to the know-your-customer verification standard used by financial institutions to confirm user identities.

Rather than imposing strict identity checks, Digg collects “a little signals of trust along the way and bundle them all together into something that’s meaningful,” Rose suggested. This approach avoids simple verification checkmarks.

Digg experiments with zero-knowledge proofs, cryptographic techniques that confirm information without exposing the underlying data. These methods verify user authenticity while preserving privacy.

The platform requires verification of product ownership or usage for product-focused communities. For instance, in a community for Oura ring owners, posters prove possession of the smart ring before contributing.

Digg also leverages signals from mobile devices for verification. One method detects when multiple Digg users attend a meetup at the same physical location. “I don’t think there’s going to be any one silver bullet here,” Rose explained. “It’s just going to be us saying … here’s a platter of things that you can add together to create trust.”

Prior to the public beta, Digg ran a private beta with 21 generalized communities, covering topics such as gaming, technology, and entertainment. Access limited to 67,000 invite-only users allowed testing of core features.

The public beta, launched on Wednesday around 4 PM ET, opens to everyone. Users create communities on any topic, including niche subjects, fulfilling a key request from private beta participants.

Community managers, equivalent to moderators, establish rules for their forums. They publish moderation logs publicly, allowing members to review decisions transparently.

The redesign introduces a sidebar for pinning favorite communities. The main feed prioritizes visual content for improved browsing.

At launch, each community features a single manager. Upcoming updates add multiple managers, customization of appearance and functionality, and third-party integrations. A movie-review community, for example, integrates Letterboxd scores directly.

CEO Justin Mezzell described the development strategy: “We kind of opted for … let’s just keep building this plane as we fly it.” He added, “That means that it be very lightweight, and we’re just going to be aggressively shipping every week and giving them new features as we go.” Weekly feature releases maintain a lean platform.

Digg consults community managers for input on needed improvements. The company recruited Reddit moderators as advisers to enhance the moderator experience. Reddit relies on volunteer moderators, but Digg seeks a superior model.

Specific plans remain under development. Mezzell emphasized, “It has to be a conversation.” He continued, “We need to figure out a way to make this an equitable experience for everybody who’s actually building Digg into what it needs to become.”

The team evaluates replacing its AI-generated podcast, which covers notable Digg stories, with a human-hosted version. This change responds to user feedback from the beta.

Rose described the current team as small, providing “years of runway” to achieve product-market fit. He noted, “The beautiful thing about this launch is we’re finally at the place with Digg where it’s just that the foundational stuff is done, and now we can really start having fun.”

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: How Samsung's next foldable could square up with the iPhone Fold

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:01:00 +0000

Samsung is set to release a new version of its Galaxy Z Fold handset later this year, just before Apple reportedly comes out with a foldable phone of its own. Here's what the rumors are telling us about the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and its prospects against the iPhone Fold.

Tech Stocks’ Bleak Day; Cerebras Gets Good News

admin — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 01:00:40 +0000

Wow. Wednesday was not a fun day, particularly if you’re a Verizon customer (guilty!), thanks to a widespread cellular phone outage that hit many of its subscribers for much of the day. It also wasn’t fun for tech investors as stocks sold off across the board. What wasn’t uniform, though, was the severity of the selling. Microsoft, Amazon and Meta Platforms each dropped about 2.4%, while Alphabet, nowadays everyone’s favorite tech company, only lost 0.04% of its value. Apple was also relatively better off, dropping just 0.4%. Nvidia fell 1.4%.

Does Wednesday’s selling say anything about what the rest of the year holds? Perhaps. Bloomberg reported that investors are shifting out of tech into other industries. Indeed, so far this year, the big tech names are mostly down by single-digit percentages, aside from Alphabet, which is up 7%, and last year’s poorest big tech performer, Amazon, which has gained 2.5%. It makes sense that investors are getting even pickier. For all its promise, the AI revolution that has lifted big tech stocks for the past three years remains enormously risky, with the outcome uncertain.