Google, Microsoft, & xAI Will Give US Government Early Model Access; Walmart Gemini-Powered Smart Speaker; Apple Looks to Intel & Samsung for US Processor Manufacturing; iOS 26.5—End to End Encryption for iPhone to Android Texts 

Just as the White House was making noise about tightening oversight on the AI companies, several have signed agreements to provide the US government with advance access to their AI systems. Engadget.com reports that the Commerce Department Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) will evaluate new models the companies develop. CAISI director Chris Fall said in a statement that “Independent, rigorous measurement science is essential to understanding frontier AI and its national security implications.” It continued “These expanded industry collaborations help us scale our work in the public interest at a critical moment.” The deal reportedly calls for Google, Microsoft and xAI to provide their models to CAISI with reduced or even disabled safeguards in order for the organization to probe them for national security-related capabilities and risks. Let’s hope the government folks are on top of large language models enough to be up to the job!

 It’s a little funkier looking that Google’s own, but Walmart is coming out with a Gemini powered smart speaker. It’s charcoal and somewhat cone shaped, with fabric sides and physical buttons on top. According to androidpolice.com, there isn’t a release date yet, or a price…but it is a safe guess that it will be cheaper than Google’s own Home Speaker, which sells for $99.99, or the hapless Apple HomePod Mini with Siri at $99. The little Walmart speaker has WiFi and bluetooth, and a 10 watt amp. It may be a bit less flashy than the Google speaker, which comes in 4 colors…but with the same Gemini power, it should be a big hit for Walmart.

Apple is apparently in early talks with Intel about using its chip-making services, and Apple brass has also visited a Samsung chip plant being built in Texas. Macrumors.com notes that up to now, main processors have been built for Apple by Taiwan Semiconductor…TSMC. Apple is said to be seeking potential additional suppliers beyond TSMC as a way to avoid recent shortages almost entirely driven by the current build-out of AI data centers. Neither Intel nor Samsung can reliably provide the kind of production and scale that TSMC offers, so it’s not clear how much, if anything, will come out of the discussions. Apple has already worked with TSMC to help expand its plant in Phoenix, which is now producing a limited number of chips for Apple and expects to make 100 million chips for the company in 2026.

In other Apple news, iOs 26.5 is getting end-to-end encryption from iPhones to Android RCS messages…FINALLY…Macrumors.com reports. The feature is available with supported carriers and will roll out over time, and for conversations to be encrypted, both the receiver and the sender must use a carrier that supports the latest version of ‌RCS‌. End-to-end encryption is on by default, and there is a toggle for it in the Messages section of the Settings app. Encrypted messages are denoted with a small lock symbol like on you browser. This is some good news, and not to beat a dead horse, but it’s about time, Apple!

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