Amazon Drops 5 New Alexa Gadgets; Apple Drops  Touchscreen MacBook Pro; Xreal Aura-New Wired Headset; Chinese Starlink Rival-10,000 Satellites by 2030

Posted: October 28, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Amazon Unveiled 5 new Alexa devices today. 9to5mac.com reports that included in the array of smart gadgets was a new 16-inch Echo Show. The big Echo comes with a so-called ‘nano-matte’ screen as an option…it’s an anti-reflective screen. You can preorder today…the unit is $569.99 with the ‘nano-matte’ or $499.99 with the regular screen. There’s a smart home dashboard, family organizer, calendars, meal plans, and a digital photo frame. The Echo Dot can act as a smart home hub for the first time. It also has a built-in WiFi extender. The Dot is $99.99, and there is a special kids edition that is $109.99..that one comes with a subscription to Amazon Kids Plus. The Echo Studio now does room mapping like Apple’s HomePod for better sound, and it also can be had with a camera. The Studio sans camera is $219.99, and the cam version is $249.99. There is an upgraded Alexa Photo Frame that sells for $199.99 or $229 in real birch or walnut. A really neat addition to the family is the Echo Time. The Time is a bedside clock that has a display which gradually brightens to imitate a sunrise. It also has a pretty cool feature…it allegedly senses your sleep phase, and will awaken you during a light sleep phase. You can pick from hundreds of clock face designs. It’s $199.99, and there is a kid version for $10 more with the Amazon Kids Plus subscription.

Meanwhile, over at Apple, Cupertino has rolled out the new OLED touch screen MacBook Pro. Steve Jobs, who famously thought touchscreens were superfluous on laptops, may be spinning, but here we are. The high-end MacBook supports touch gestures…and one small but welcome detail makes a return…the lighted apple on the back of the case that has been gone for several years. Yay to that! The top-line MacBook Pro starts at $2899 for the 14-inch model and $3399 for the 16-inch model. If you lard the bigger one up with every single possible extra…you can ruin $14,000…but honestly, only super programmers or people working with fast, high end video work will ever order one like that! The laptops are thinner than the present versions, and lighter with the 14-inch model weighing only 3 lbs. The new Pros use the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips announced earlier this year.

Xreal, Google’s smart glasses partner, has launched the Aura wired smart glasses. Techcrunch.com notes that they run Android XR and are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon. They are much lighter than the larger, heavier Apple Vision Pro headset. That said, they are heavy…weighing in at 95 grams compared to Meta’s 69 gram model. The glasses support a number of popular Google Play apps and games. They are available for order today in the US, Canada, Japan, and South Korea…starting at $1279…with a limited launch price of $1099 through December. There is a 16 gig+ 512 gig model that will launch in December for $1499.

In a huge shot over the bow to Elon Musk and co., Starlink’s Chinese rival SpaceSail plans to put 10,000 satellites into orbit….and have them up and running by 2030. Bgr.com says that would put them on par with Starlink in number of satellites in orbit. The firm is shooting for business customers as well as consumers. Right now, they just have a few hundred of their first generation satellites in orbit, but  are planning to launch the 2nd and 3rd generation ones in a few months. If they are able to provide equipment and service at a significantly lower cost than Starlink, it could really cut into Musk’s business. There is also a European firm with a smaller number of satellites up right now….and Apple uses another rival service for its Emergency SOS and texting features…with the option to do more…such as voice calls in areas that lack cell service. Could they get into video as well? With Apple TV, that might be in their plans.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Apple-New 14 Inch MacBook Pro; OpenAI Touts New Discoveries in Math, Computer Science & Physics; Ford Simplifies Using EV to Power Home; China’s AI Bubble Already Bursting

Posted: October 27, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

After saying it would roll out new products the next four Fridays, as we reported, Apple has jumped the gun and bowed a new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M6 chip today. Macrumors.com reports that the new Pro is faster…of course…but it also has support for WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 using Apple’s N1 wireless chip. The laptop can also now drive dual external 4K displays. It starts with 1 TB of storage. You can preorder as of tomorrow the 28th, and it is available on November 6th. Pricing starts at $1999.

OpenAI has announced more discoveries in math, computer science, and physics. According to engadget.com, they have published the math results so researchers can look them up and take their own shot at explaining them. They have formed an external group of collaborators to check over the computer science and physics discoveries. A couple of manuscripts are available on GitHub…one regarding Rogge’s local smoothing for waves in every spatial dimension, and another that shows proof that the Exponential Time Hypothesis is false.

You may recall that the electric Ford 150 Lightning was touted as being able to power your house in the event of a power outage. Now, arstechnica.com says Ford has a better  idea…ok, that’s just a hat tip to their old ad slogan. What they are doing though, is cool. The upcoming under $30 grand Fathom electric pickup due out next year will have its own version of the F-150 Lightning’s inverter system that can transfer the DC battery power from the truck and convert to AC for your house. The inverter in this case is built right into the truck…you don’t need a wall-mounted inverter. You WILL still need the Ford Home Power Station, which in this case will cost half what the $1300 one for the F-150 EV cost.

In China, the AI bubble has burst. Reuters notes that the Star 50 index of AI and semiconductor leaders is off 40% in 4 months, wiping out $480 billion in market value. “Just like all other Chinese manufacturers, (chipmakers and AI suppliers) will eventually end up in a price war,” said fund manager Wang ​Zhuo, partner at Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment Management. “There’s no exception,” he said. “All bubbles inevitably burst.”

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Anthropic IPO-‘Revolutionize Every Area of Human Endeavor’; Elvis’ Estate Sues Anthropic-Copyright Infringement; New iPad Mini-1st Water-Resistant iPad; AI Has Delivered Zero Payoff Outside Tech-Apollo’s Slok

Posted: October 26, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Anthropic haș filed with the SEC, in its move to go public. Theverge.com reports that the 1st 6 months of this year, the AI firm had an $80.7 billion loss on $16.3 billion in revenue. Despite this giant negative cash flow, the maker of Claude said in the filing: ‘We believe that AI is one of the most consequential technologies in human history. If managed well, it could rapidly accelerate scientific innovation, greatly increase economic growth rates, bring cures for major diseases within reach, and solve problems that have resisted generations of human effort.’ That’s a pretty positive outlook…time will show us if it is really that golden, or falls a ways from the mark.

The estate of Elvis Presley thinks Anthropic is a ‘Hound Dog,’ and has sued the AI company over copyright infringement. According to engadget.com, the estate is demanding $41 million, claiming the AI company trained its models on 274 Elvis songs without permission. The filing accuses Anthropic of bypassing DRM protections and removing or altering copyright management information from 247 songs. Those include hits like Don’t Be Cruel, Can’t Help Falling in Love and A Little Less Conversation. Universal Music and Concord Music Group have filed similar claims over illegal downloading and training on some 20,000 songs. The demand for compensation is in the billions.

Apple has bowed a new iPad Mini, and the new Mini has a surprise feature no other iPad has. It is water-resistant. Macrumors.com notes that Apple tested the device for immersion in water up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes under controlled laboratory conditions. The company highlights reading by the pool and working outdoors on a rainy day as situations where the protection could be particularly useful. All that is well and good, but Cupertino still cautions against charging a wet iPad, and liquid damage isn’t covered by the warranty. The new Mini starts at $699, with preorders open Wednesday, October 28th. It will be available on November 6th.

In spite of the chirpy, positive outlook for AI noted above in Anthropic’s filing for their IPO, the Chief Economist at Apollo Global Management Torsten Slok has a bit less rosy view. He says that despite the enormous investment of cash into AI, it has provided ‘zero payoff’ to corporate America outside of technology. Slok goes on to say in a report that “Revenue per worker is rising for the Magnificent 7 but is flat for the S&P 493.” Profit margins haven’t grown, either, aside from the tech companies involved with building AI.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Amazon Bulks Up Hires for Holiday as Others Contract; Subaru Drops Gas Cars for EVs in Europe After 2027; SpaceX & Tesla Boards Form Merger Review Committee; Google Extends Free Pixel 9 Satellite SOS a Year

Posted: October 21, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Seasonal hiring is set to be the lowest since 2008, but one retailer is swimming against the tide. Amazon will hire over 300,000 people in seasonal, part-time, and full-time slots in the US during this holiday season. Geekwire.com reports that adds up to a 20% increase over last year, and it is the largest holiday hiring target on record. Amazon sales volume has increased this year. Worldwide paid units, a measure of items sold on Amazon, grew 17% year-over-year in the second quarter, up from 12% a year earlier, according to its second-quarter earnings release. Hey, it’s a great economy if your name is Bezos!

Subaru is planning to stop selling gas cars in Europe and will go all electric. According to engadget.com, the Outback will lose the gas engine in Europe at the end of this year. After that, the Impreza, Crosstrek, and Forester will drop the venerable flat 4 gas engine in 2027. Beginning in 2028, Subaru will just sell 3 models in the EU and they all will be EVs. They are the Solterra, the E-Outback..which is badged Trailseeker in the US, and the Uncharted. Subaru has been leaning on Toyota for EV tech up to now, but will use its own EV technology for the next generation of EVs it fields.

Boards of Directors for both SpaceX and Tesla have formed special committees to review a possible (read that likely) merger. Techcrunch.com that Elon Musk…who is the largest individual shareholder in each company…has said quote “Because I’m a conflicted party, I can’t actually be in the discussions of the special committees, so it’s this sort of a … It’s an odd kabuki dance where two groups of people are talking, and I can’t be in the conversation.” It is a kabuki dance indeed, since Musk effectively controls both boards and therefore in reality both committees. The big question is what will the effect be on Tesla is a merger does happen. The Starlink satellite system does throw off cash for SpaceX, but the rocket company really doesn’t generate positive cash, and neither does social net X or artificial intelligence division xAI. The latter has been leasing out space on a giant data center for money, however. The single cash cow in the Musk empire remains Tesla. It seems it would dilute the stock value notably if a merger happened. That might not appeal much to Tesla shareholders!

Google is putting off by a year starting to charge Pixel 9 Users for Satellite SOS. Androidcentral.com reports that the service, which was introduced in 2024, originally had 2 years for free access. It could still eventually become another smartphone subscription, but for now, it remains a no-charge feature. Whether on Android or Apple’s phones, the Emergency satellite service remains a great feature…and honestly ought to be a free feature indefinitely. Even if it turns to a subscription later, it would be worthwhile…and could actually be lifesaving. Of course, you can always upgrade to a new phone and start the freebie clock ticking all over again!

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Next Apple Event-Oct. 28th; Waymo Will Add 20K Robotaxis to Fleet; Spotify Membership Program for Podcasts; 1st US Lithium Plant in 50 Years

Posted: October 20, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Pro and Tell…that’s the somewhat cryptic invite from Apple for their next event October 28th. Actually, it isn’t all that cryptic, since we already know they are launching new MacBook Pros imminently. 9to5mac.com reports that the expected tentpole devices with be new, top line MacBook Pro’s with OLED touch screen displays. Other than the touch screens and better displays, the laptops are expected to look much like the present ones as far as form factor. They will be powered by M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. We can expect wallet-crushing prices for the very top models, of course…made worse by the chip shortage caused by all the data centers AI companies are building out.                                                

Waymo will expand their robotaxi fleet from the 4,000 currently on the roads to 8,000 by the end of this year, and 20,000 by the end of 2027. According to thenextweb.com, most of the vehicles will be Ojai, the Waymo EV built by Zeekr, one of the brands from Chinese maker Geely. Waymo takes the cars and installs their self-driving system in their plant in Mesa, Arizona. Waymo currently operates in 15 US cities. They are expanding to Madrid, Spain. WeRide and Uber are already testing in Madrid.

Look out, Patreon…a big player is about to horn in on your turf. Engadget.com says that Spotify is rolling out its Membership program, which lets users get exclusive content in exchange for a subscription fee. Spotify’s Memberships program was introduced back in May during the company’s Investor Day event. At the time, it was only detailed as a way for creators to “build recurring revenue directly from their most engaged fans on Spotify.” Similar to Patreon’s membership tiers and YouTube’s six Channel membership levels, Spotify creators can also bundle Membership benefits into specific tiers with different price points. Spotify said creators get to keep 90 percent of the revenue earned from Memberships, much like how Patreon takes a 10 percent platform fee. With all the journalists that have bailed or been canned through takeovers of media companies and systems by billionaires lately, it’s good to have another platform for good writers and truth-tellers. Of course, subscribe to a liar or lousy writer if that is your thing. I’m not here to judge.

The first lithium plant in the US in 50 years will open in Texas. It’s run by a company called Element3, and the US Department of Energy is involved, with support from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Bgr.com notes that there isn’t any actual mining involved…although the US does have lithium deposits in the Southern California desert. The project takes wastewater from oil mining facilities within the Permian Basin (an oil field in western Texas) and filters out the lithium chloride it contains. Element3 then uses ORNL proprietary technology to transform the material into battery-grade lithium carbonate. The National Lab’s calculations are that Element3’s installation can produce around 3,000 tons of lithium every year. To put that into perspective, in 2022, the sole lithium mine in the U.S., located in Silver Peak, Nevada, was reported to produce around 5,000 tons of lithium annually.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Microsoft Bows Tools to Deal with Rogue AI Agents; Apple-New Products Next Four Fridays; Anthropic-5% Shares to Benefit Fund & Musk to Give Every US Kid a Share in SpaceX; Newest OpenAI and Google Models Easily Tricked into Making Non-consensual Nudes

Posted: October 19, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Microsoft has rolled out tools to monitor and control rogue AI agents. Geekwire.com reports that the new features are part of Microsoft 365 E7…the company’s top-tier bundle of workplace software and AI tools, and its Project Perception security system. The new Microsoft tools come on the heels of a now steady flow of reports about AI agents breaking out of sandboxes and breaking into websites, stealing credentials, and other mischief. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in a post that “The most trustworthy Super Intelligence system will not be the one with the model we trust most. It will be the one that enables us to trust the model the least.” Redmond plans to reveal more details at their Ignite conference November 17-19 in San Francisco.

Apple will be releasing new products on the next 4 Fridays. According to macrumors.com, the sold-out iPhone Duo will be released October 23rd (if you don’t have one ordered, expect to get one first quarter next year!). Then, of Friday, October 30th, the just-announced HomePod Mini 2 will drop. Rolling into November, the MacBook Pros with OLED displays and all the hardware upgrades will be out November 6th, followed by HomeView and Apple TV 4th generation on November 13th. All should have good availability on launch, with the exception mentioned above…the iPhone Duo folding phone…which is so hot that now Samsung says they are seeing a nice increase in folding phone sales, too.

Anthropic has said that…subject to shareholder approval…they would commit 5% of the company’s shares to public benefit fund. On the heels of that, Elon Musk is now saying he will give one share of SpaceX to every child in the US next year. Cnbc.com notes that there were 72 million kids under 18 as of July 1st, 2025. That would mean that Musk would give away some $10,5 billion worth of shares, based on SpaceX’s closing stock price as of last Friday.

Research from White Circle…a public benefit corporation backed by folks at Anthropic, DeepMind, Hugging Face, Google, and OpenAI has found that both Google’s  AI models and OpenAI’s can be easily tricked into generating non-consensual explicit content. Arstechnica.com reports that the AI models can basically be jail broken using just off-the-shelf tools…available for anyone to download. The research found that…to sum things up…“at a time when AI safety has never been under more scrutiny, the defenses leading labs have built are far weaker than they acknowledge.” Perhaps the worst thing found in the research is that the new models ChatGPT Images 2.5 and Nano Banana 2.1 are both significantly more breakable than their previous versions.” I would say we can look for the race between people making deepfakes and AI companies trying to stop them to be much like that between the police radar makers and radar detector makers…a constant battle where each side has the upper hand for a minute, then the other passes them up.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Anthropic-Small AI Models Could Self-Replicate via IoT Devices; SpaceX Limits Starlink in Ukraine Hampering Military; OpenAI Secret Recorder in Office-AI Helps Finger Perpetrator; Netflix Laying Off 1,000 Employees 

Posted: October 14, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Anthropic has issued a warning that small AI models may be able to replicate themselves soon and burrow into all sorts of Internet of Things devices like smart TVs and smart refrigerators. Arstechnica.com reports that this would be like computer worms, which propagate without human interaction and can infect IoT devices…only on steroids— with the AI being behind the small models. Anthropic also warned that this new type of malware could be difficult to stop. Bill Gates also sounded the alarm about this in the last several days. Smaller AI models require much less powerful hardware to run than do frontier models. I love tech, as is obvious, but for once am glad to have a ‘dumb’ refrigerator!

SpaceX has placed a limit on some Starlink devices in Ukraine, disrupting combat drone missions that need the tech. According to reuters.com, SpaceX never even gave the Ukrainian military a heads up…and some missions had to be cancelled. Apparently, during flights the connection could drop for 10-20 seconds to as low as 66 mph. The drones kept flying, but it made them much harder to control. One has to wonder if this was because of the damage they have been able to cause to Russian data centers, which seems to have enraged Elon Musk. SpaceX has not responded to requests for comment on why the service was throttled. Ukraine drones don’t use Starlink in Russia, where the service is not available…but instead use other means of communication. 

A spy had connected a recorder on the back of a TV in a conference room at one of OpenAI’s San Francisco offices. After the device was found, mashable.com says the AI giant used its own models to “understand the device and where it had come from.” The models helped finger a Saudi national who had worked there as an engineer. He was arrested by the FBI on October 9th. The recorder was plugged into a USB port on the back of the TV and was wrapped in toilet paper. Apparently he had planted a 2nd device in the building and that was found as well. The device was only in the room a handful of days. OpenAI says it currently has no indication that the man…one Abdulrahman Alfozan… successfully obtained model weights, source code, or customer data. The room where the device was planted, however, was a place where “highly confidential” technical, commercial, and strategic information was frequently discussed.

Netflix is laying off about 6% of its workforce. TechCrunch.com reports that Netflix claims most of the cuts would affect its product, tech, legal, and human resources departments. The company said it will “continue to invest aggressively in high-impact areas” to improve its service, and stated it is on track to deliver its full-year forecast. The streamer has had 16,000 full-time employees. This layoff comes in the aftermath of the battle between Netflix and Paramount Skydance over acquiring Warner Brothers. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Apple’s Home Event-HomeView & More

Posted: October 13, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

After years of rumors, Apple finally unveiled the HomeView. The new device has a 7-inch ‘Liquid Retina’ display, and a domed speaker base. There’s a stainless steel hinge with tilt support. The new HomeView can dim down more than other Apple devices, so could be used as a nightstand unit if you don’t use the iPhone horizontally for a bedroom clock. 

There is a separate wall-mount version of the device, too. It can be mounted by you or you can opt to drop bucks for a pro to do it. The HomeView can be preordered today for $299. The mounting kit for wall mounting will set you back $59.95 for the cheapest, or there are a couple other models that run $79.95 and $129.95. The pricy one is out next year. HomeView can recognize up to 6 users, and according to Apple it will deliver a “personalized experience” for each one. This includes a personalized Home Screen with apps and widgets. “Personal content stays private from others, while shared photo albums and music can be easily enjoyed by everyone in a household, including guests.” 

The gadget supports Siri AI. As far as audio, it is no match for the HomePods. HomeView has 2 full-range drivers, a down-firing woofer, and two force-cancelling passive radiators. The 1st gen HomePod had 6 drivers and a woofer, and 2nd gen one has 5. Note that the wall-mounted unit doesn’t have the good speaker system. The table-top one comes in silver, starlight, rose pink, and space gray. The wall-mounted HomeView comes in just space gray or silver. HomeView isn’t initially available in the EU. That’s because Siri AI is not available in the EU yet. Also, there is only limited support for third-party apps. 

Also announced today was the HomePod Mini 2. The updated Mini ships October 30th, but won’t support Siri AI at launch. It comes in green, pink blue, midnight, and white. The upgrade from the S5 to S10 chip should make the Mini’s capability better…honestly, version 1 is pretty helpless and the sound isn’t great. The HomePod Mini 2 is a pretty big jump in price from the original. It’s $149…compared to $99 for the first model. 

I won’t cover the Apple Home Collection today, as these leaked and were already covered by me before…but they include the new door lock made in conjunction with LG, and the outdoor cams and thermostat. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

Global Smartphone Sales Down-Chip Shortage; Cars Sharing Data with Third Parties; HomeView & HomeOS-Likely Apple’s; Parents Angry Over Planned Tesla Fremont Increased Emissions

Posted: October 12, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Counterpointresearch.com reports that the global smartphone market declined 20% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, reaching its lowest third quarter level in 14 years…primarily due to continued memory chip shortages. Samsung continues to top the market with a 23% share, powered by better-than-competitive positioning in securing shipments and robust early demand for its Z8 foldable series, led by the Z Fold 8. Apple’s market share got past the 20% mark for the first time in any third quarter, reaching 22%, despite a year over year decline in shipments. The market saw a widening gap between premium and price-sensitive segments, with premium demand remaining relatively strong while higher device prices put greater pressure on affordability, hurting the lower end phone sales.

You likely won’t be surprised, but still pissed about this. Many new cars are sharing your data with third parties. According to engadget.com, top US car maker General Motors’ app has sent data…including the vehicle ID number to Snap, Yahoo, Meta, Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Pinterest, and data broker Acxiom. This all according to a study from Northwestern University. The GM apps include myCadillac, myChevrolet, myBuick, and myGMC. HondaLink sent your VIN and location to analytics firm Amplitude. Lincoln and myNissan apps also were guilty of sending off your data to third parties. Because a VIN can’t be changed, the third parties can pair that with your email, and they can tie you to activity on other apps and websites. To give credit where it is due, Honda has asked Amplitude to delete location data, and then updated the HondaLink app to stop sending it. 

Apple is going to hold their ‘Welcome Home’ event tomorrow, rolling out their new smart home hub and other goodies. We will cover it of course, but right now a little tidbit or two besides the rumored devices has leaked out. Macrumors.com notes that a company called Home Services LLC secretly filed for a trademark for “HomeView” in the US and other countries. The firm has been tied to Apple. Another Apple-connected company filed for HomeOS. Speculation is that the new home hub might be called HomeView. At any rate, we’ll know tomorrow…and will see it as well as several other either new or updated Apple hardware.

There is an elementary school near the Fremont, CA Tesla factory. It’s very close…less than 1,000 feet away. Thenextweb.com says parents of school kids want more time to question a plan that could raise emissions from the factory. Tesla has applied to change emission limits on two aluminum melting furnaces and add new equipment to cut nitrogen oxides, according to a notice from the Bay Area Air District. Notice of the proposed change came over one single message on a school app on the third of September. That notice said that Limits would be modified…but didn’t specify that they would go up. Then, someone posted on an anonymous Substack that the school district’s own engineering papers showed that emissions would go up 13-fold! Parts of the engineering review were blacked out, too. The parents have a petition that has gathered over 1,000 signatures demanding more time for the comment period. Tesla has not replied to requests for comment from the EV maker.

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.

Google-Improved SynthID AI Detector; Apple New Smart Home Gadgets; Ring’s Smart Lock-Really Smart Feature; Grok Bot to Use Claude Opus 5.5, Midjourney & Suno

Posted: October 7, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Google is rolling out an improved version of its SynthID AI detector. For a little context, arstechnica.com reports that every piece of AI content from Google’s Gemini models has a hidden SynthID label, which makes it very difficult to pass the content off as authentic. SynthID has also gotten buy-in from other major AI players, but actually checking for those invisible watermarks has been a convoluted process. With the updated version, it’s going to be a little easier. Google has announced that its SynthID detector now supports watermarks from all its partners, and it’s available for anyone to use on a new dedicated website. The partners include OpenAI, Nvidia, Kakao, and (soon) Apple. You will have to log in to use the tool, but it supports Google, OpenAI, and Apple accounts. If you are interested, go to SynthID.com to check a piece of content for a watermark. I support any advance that helps folks figure out what’s original human-created content and what’s AI. 

Apple is getting set to beef up its smart home offerings. According to 9to5mac.com, Cupertino has partnered with LG on a doorbell, thermostat, smart deadbolt lock, indoor security cam, and outdoor security cam, and  a floodlight camera. Although Apple worked with LG on the devices, they will still all carry the LG brand, not Apple’s. Also…even though Apple is rolling out its new smart home hub and more next week, the new LG devices won’t be out for a few more months. The devices will support Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, and Matter. In addition, the smart lock also includes UWB (ultra-wideband), which will enable proximity-based features such as automatic door unlocking.

Ring has rolled out its first smart lock. The device is a $249 deadbolt with no keyhole at all. What if the battery runs down? Well, that’s what I consider the coolest feature. I have a keypad lock…not really a smart lock..but always carry a key, in case the battery dies. Geekwire.com points out that the new Ring smart lock has a little dial on it. If the battery is dead, you can turn the dial about 10 times, and it will give the device enough charge to open the lock. When it is good to go again, a light turns green, and you can use your fingerprint, the keypad, or the Ring app to enter. It is slated to ship the first quarter of next year. For a battery, no 9-volt job…it uses the standard Ring battery….which for the lock, ought to last about a year. 

Grok Bot will now not just run on SpaceX’s own AI models. Thenextweb.com reports that it will also use models of rivals like Anthropic’s Claude Opus 5.5, Midjourney, and Suno. The announcement was made by Elon Musk in a post on X. Grok Bot is the AI agent app from SpaceXAI, the AI business Musk has folded into SpaceX. It launched in August. Each Bot works on its own computer and can carry out several tasks in parallel. Musk did not say which tasks would go to which outside model. Grok Bot will still compete with Agents like Meta’s Muse….which has now exceeded 3 million weekly users. As we have reported, some users have backed away from Muse…which wants really deep access into your computer and data. No info yet on how deeply Grok Bot will want to burrow into your personal info. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now. 

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