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.

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.

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. 

Apple Tightens macOS Privacy Over AI Agent Issue; YouTube Shorts Recommendations-No Unoriginal Content; Sen. Sanders-Bill Bans Feds from Using Flock; OpenAI Putting Ads in ChatGPT Image Generation

Posted: October 5, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Apple is locking down its macOS privacy controls even more as AI agents get more powerful and more intrusive. 9to5mac.com reports that Apple will tighten up ‘Full Disk Access.’  That change should help protect user privacy. The real purpose for Full Disk Access in the first place is to  “allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac.” That’s good and important…you should back up often. What has been happening though is “some developers” are using the Full Disk Access setting in macOS in “ways that could put users at risk.” Granting Full Disk Access to AI Agents can expose everything on a user’s systems—including files, mail, messages, and even browsing history—without users’ full knowledge and understanding. For communication apps, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with.” Shortly, with new controls, a user will have to give explicit permission to an app or Agent to have Full Disk Access. Two always-on agents right now are Meta Muse and OpenAI’s Dots. Both request substantial access to your personal data.

In a victory of sorts for content creators, YouTube has announced that it has adjusted its Shorts recomendations so that users will see less unoriginal content. According to 9to5google.com, users who upload content that blatantly steals video from another channel will not get the same reach as they did before the change, according to what YouTube laid out in its release. The change should mean users will see a focus on original content, and creators that upload original Shorts will likely be rewarded. YouTube hasn’t detailed a rollout date for this change, but it sounds like it may be live already.

It will go no place in this Congress, but if the Democrats take control of both Houses in November, a bill that was moved by Senator Bernie Sanders might get reintroduced in the next Congress and get some traction. TechCrunch.com says the Ban Flock Act would bar federal agencies from using automatic license plate readers, or tapping into data collected by readers run by local police and private companies. Despite its title, the bill doesn’t call out nine-year-old Flock in the text but rather covers any and all ALPR systems. That’s a good thing, since there are 3 different companies that make the license plate reading cams. There are exceptions for toll collection and or uses that Congress approves in future legislation, which would have to limit data retention to 48 hours. State and local governments would be fined for violating the law and sharing with the feds.

Well here’s a real non-shocker…OpenAI is testing a visual ad format during image generation in ChatGPT. Thenextweb.com notes that the commercial is clearly labeled as separate from the image being made— if that makes you feel better about it. Nothing like charging you money via tokens, then making money from serving you ads. The younger folks who have grown up with the ability to pay extra on a subscription for streams will hate this. Usually it’s one or the other…not charging you AND running ads. OpenAI cheerily notes that the advertising doesn’t influence the answers ChatGPT gives. 

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

OpenAI Releases ‘Dots’; Apple Pressed over ICE Tracking App Removals; Android Auto Gemini-Can’t Call 911; Google Play Adds Usage-Based Billing Subscriptions for AI Apps

Posted: September 29, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Even as controversy continues to roil things after OpenAI agents escaped and hacked Hugging Face, OpenAI moves ahead in releasing new agents anyone can use with minimal supervision. It is worth noting that they are holding back their latest ChatGPT model due to safety concerns. That said, Engadget.com reports that at their DevDay event today in San Francisco, OpenAI announced Dots…pitching them as proactive, always-on AI systems that can chip away at tasks for you every hour of the day. “The magic of dots is when they bring you work done the way you would do it, sometimes before you even think to ask,” the company explains. It points to an example where a tester’s Dot noticed they had forgotten to bill a publication for an article. The Dot prepared an invoice and sent it on the person’s behalf after it obtained their approval. Dots can interact with more than 4,000 apps using OpenAI’s ecosystem of plug-ins. Dots will come in Pro, Business, Premium, and Enterprise tiers and be available in select markets to users…who can choose one primary Dot to name and customize. OpenAI says eventually you will be able to control teams of Dots. Or will they control you? Ok, just kidding…kinda.

Apple is getting continued blowback over dropping ICE tracking apps such as ICEBlock from the App Store. The Trump administration had claimed that the apps endangered officers. According to arstechnica.com, US Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) has opined that Apple has no evidence to support claims that apps raised safety concerns. Instead, the lawmaker accused Apple of using immigrant deaths with no connection to the apps to justify censoring Americans who have the right to record ICE activity. It appears that Apple is “working with the government to violate its customers’ First Amendment rights to record and report on the activities of their own government,” Raskin said in a letter to Apple sent Monday, CNN reported. To ensure that no Americans’ core speech rights are violated by removals unconstitutionally ordered by the government, Raskin has asked Apple to “send a full list of the apps it removed following concerns from the Justice Department” so that it will finally be possible to “conduct an independent review of those removal decisions.”

Something crucial to keep in mind if you use Android Auto and have to call 911…do it yourself, don’t ask Android Auto’s Gemini to do so. The latest iteration apparently won’t. Androidpolice.com says that in posts to Reddit and to the Android Auto community forum, there were posts like this one: “Three times at least in the past month I have needed to call 911 and my Gemini assistant integrated via Android Auto says calling or dialing 911.. and stops.” Apparently past versions COULD call 911. If you go to the Gemini Apps Help page, you can find a section called ‘What Gemini Apps Can’t do.’  It states right there that it can’t make emergency services like 911. If you use Android Auto and the Gemini app in your car, do yourself a favor…if you need to call 911…just dial 911 directly.  

Android developers will get payment options around subscriptions in Google Play apps they build. 9to5google.com notes that this means to you as a user you should keep an eye out for User-Based Billing to support generative AI apps and other usage based services. This new way of extracting a few more bucks from you is being termed ‘prepaid metered billing.’ It means users can automatically top off their balance when it drops below a set threshold. Everybody—but everybody in tech—as well as other sectors…is pushing for some kind of regular subscription. You can easily be into hundreds of bucks a month flying out the door on them. Everything from Netflix, public radio, MS Now, and now your agentic AI apps will have lovely subscriptions for you to keep track of. Add yours up…you may be surprised at how much this nickel and diming takes out of your account every month.

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

Googlebooks Expand Android Ecosystem; Apple Smart Glasses Will Have a More Crowded but Growing Market; Mercedes Will Use British AI in Cars; Saudi Arabia Launches Car Industry with 2 EVs

Posted: September 22, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Google has unleashed a line of Googlebooks, in conjunction with several manufacturers. This will give Google more of an ecosystem something like Apple has, where a user who is locked into their products can seamlessly move from smartphone or watch to laptop and back. I use this feature all the time with my Apple devices, and expect those folks in the Google world will welcome the ability to move seamlessly. 

Androidpolice.com reports that the features include Continue On…which connects phones and Googlebooks in the manner I just described above. Also, there is a Flies app that allows viewing, searching, and opening files and photos that live on Android phones right on your Googlebook. Finally, you get Cast My Apps…which puts a phone’s apps right on the desktop of the Googlebook, so you can split tasks easily. Of course, you also have Google Gemini AI, which you can summon with the ‘Magic Pointer,’ which means just wiggle the cursor with mouse or trackpad and your Gemini AI ‘genie’ is there to help out.

There are 5 ‘flavors’ of Googlebook, ranging in price from $899 to $1299. The manufacturers include Asus, Lenovo, Dell, HP, and Acer. Preorders are open now for the new Googlebooks at the Google Store and Best Buy. They will be on shelves by October 4th.

Apple’s upcoming smart glasses…slated for release in 2027…will enter an increasingly crowded field, but one that is growing fast. As we just reported yesterday, Meta has rolled out some camera-less smart glasses, which is an interesting move. Apple appears to still be planning on using cameras, but no display. 

Right now, 96% of units shipped lack a display. According to macrumors.com, shipments of display-less AI glasses increased 258% the first half of 2025. This includes the popular Meta Ray-Ban glasses, which do have cams and provide photography, audio, calling, and AI features with no screen. Meta will be a tough competitor, even for Apple. Right now they account for 94% of smart glasses shipments. It is expected that Apple will shoot for a more premium product like everything else they sell…at a more premium price than the Meta Ray-Bans.

It sounds blasphemous, but Mercedes-Benz has signed a deal with British firm Wayve to use their AI Driver feature in future Mercedes vehicles. Thenextweb.com notes that Mercedes has invested $1.5 billion in Wayve’s Series D stock, and in addition signed a production agreement to put the AI Driver into the upcoming Mercedes cars within the next 2 years. The system provides urban and motorway point-to-point driving assistance. Both companies point out that the system is for point-to-point driving assistance, and not autonomy. That means the driver remains responsible. 

The Saudi government has teamed up with Foxconn to launch Arabia’s fist domestic car line, dubbed Ceer…with a C. Ironically, for a country that is basically a giant oil well, the first 2 cars are electric vehicles. Arstechnica.com says that Ceer means ‘drive forward’ in Arabic. 

The two models are the Exobot sedan and an SUV. They are both very sleek and futuristic-looking. They do use a Elon Musk-esque aircraft- type steering yoke, not a round wheel. They have what they are calling falcon doors….basically a riff on gullwing doors. They are loaded with electronic gadgetry, like some of the latest EVs from China. The Exobot has a claimed 310 mile range for the SUV and 373 for the sedan. Prices have yet to be announced.

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

Why 3 AI Competitors Suddenly Agree and Warn Us; China Says AI Execs ‘Fear Mongering’; Apple Designing Game Controllers for Folding iPhone; Automattic CEO Mullenweg Remains as CEO after Board Attempts Ouster

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

My opinion on why all of a sudden OpenAI, Anthropic, and Musk are all saying there is an issue: I think a) they want to write legislation to exclude other competitors and have the government shield them so they can make more money, or b) and most likely…the financial house of cards is getting close to collapse and the rich dudes and big companies that invested in them want a return on their billions…and the AI companies can’t possibly produce those returns. Is the AI bubble starting to burst similarly to the dot com bust? Some folks are saying so…stay tuned, and batten down the hatches. We seem to be on the downward slope now in the Gartner Hype Cycle.

Not missing an opportunity to meddle in US affairs, China is calling the AI CEOs’ talk of a slowdown ‘fear mongering.’ This has also been echoed by Donald Trump…who can’t even use a computer! Cnbc.com reports that a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said that the field of AI has become “the main battleground for global technological competition and a new arena for strategic rivalry among major powers.” He then added that there was a need for “healthy and orderly” development of the technology. Adoption of Chinese AI models has been gaining traction with Western companies as the capability of those models has improved.

Hot off the introduction of the new folding iPhone Duo with the bigger inner screen, Apple is apparently designing its own game controllers that can be attached to the Duo. According to 9to5mac.com, Apple already sells some game controllers via the Apple store..but the new ones are specifically for the iPhone Duo. They may release the controllers under the Beats brand. No release schedule has been seen for these new controllers yet.

After a board revolt last week that ousted Automattic’s CEO Matt Mullenweg, the momentarily former CEO has returned to his position. TechCrunch.com notes that the board voted to retain him. Automattic is the parent company of WordPress, and is one of the two largest website hosting firms in the world. Disclosure: my two websites where these reports are posted and available are hosted by WordPress. The original ouster put Mullenweg on a leave of absence and no reason was given. Automattic has not responded to requests for comment, and Mullenweg has just posted that he is a ‘pirate,’ and that this is the 5th time he has faced a coup.

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

Apple Extravaganza-Folding iPhone, iPhone Pros, Watches, Air Pods

Posted: September 9, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Welcome, one and all to the Apple reality distortion field…or at least my recap of it! Apple rolled out their latest, greatest iPhone Pros, Watches, and Air Pods today, and the inevitable ‘one more thing’ we all knew was coming…the folding iPhone. We all called it the Ultra, but Apple has dubbed it the iPhone Duo. Not being Apple, I will start with the one more thing, the Duo. Honestly, there is a lot to be impressed with about the folder Apple waited several years to drop. They have done a great job minimizing the crease in the screen, the hinge itself has a lot of tech in it, and it has better battery life than expected. It is, as Apple noted, about the size of your passport in your hand folded, and open has an inner screen of some 7.6 inches…much like an iPad Mini. 

Later this year, you will be able to use an Apple Pencil with either screen, too. When you are using the outer screen, and open the phone, the larger screen picks up right where you left off. There is a selfie cam on the inner screen that is hidden under the display…no hole punch or pill-shaped cutout to take away from the full screen experience. It is worth mentioning that the outer screen is no slouch…it is 5.4 inches. You can shoot a pic while using the inner screen, and your subject can see themselves in the outer display. Pretty cool. The phone has the 2 nanometer A20 processor like the iPhone 18 Pros, and has 2 neural engines. Dual batteries give you up to 31 hours of video viewing on the big display and 24 hours on a charge. Here’s the crazy part…it starts at $1999 with 256 gigs of storage! I expected it to be more like $2400. Preorders start October 16th, and the launch is October 23rd.

For the rest of us mere mortals that may not be getting a folding phone right now, the Pro and Pro Max also have the A20 Pro chip, and Apple strongly emphasized AI and especially on-device AI. The AI and new version of Siri may be exciting to use as you get into your daily use of the phone, but for now, we’ll talk about a couple other features that everyone will notice…improvements to the cams and battery life. The banner cam hardware feature is sort of amazing…a variable aperture to let in light. They have tiny leaves about the thickness of a human hair that open and close. Lots of manual control is available if you are up for it. Apple noted that the entire presentation today was shot on iPhones. If you aren’t a cinematographer or pro photographer, the software is there to take advantage of all that for you. By the way, it is only the 48 MP main cam that has the variable aperture. 

Another really great photo feature is Apple Reference Image…the phone will authenticate photos shot on it right down to the pixel level, so people can detect if something is AI. The Reference shot lives on your phone and in your library right along with a finished shot you have edited using software. Battery life grows to 36 hour for video playback on the Pro and 48 on the Pro Max. Both should bet 24-30 hours on a full charge. Speaking of charging, the Pro gets up to 50% in 15 minutes with a wire charger, or the same in 30 minutes charged wirelessly. With the chip shortage due to AI both phones got a price bump this year. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1199, and the Pro Max at $1299. Preorders open this Saturday, with availability September 18th. 

The Apple Watch Series 12 has a new chip and upgrade health sensors. The Watch Ultra now has 2 day battery life and upgraded health tracking. Both will track your heart rate better, among other things. A cool feature that plays on Apple’s Visual Intelligence is an Audio Intelligence feature. The Watch will record the last 15 seconds or so of voice with what Apple calls Live Rewind. This can be handy if a wait person rattles off the daily specials, and you didn’t get it. You can check your phone, and the Watch will have sent the text to it so you can see what’s on the menu. It can also be set to record and transcribe meetings. For hard of hearing, the watch can also pick up sounds like alarms, doorbells, or a baby crying.The Watches didn’t get a price hike. The Ultra starts at $799 and the Series 12 at $399. Preorders are open now, and they are available September 18th.

AirPods 5 bowed today, and get improved noise cancellation and audio quality…always appreciated. The base models start at $129. The $149 models have a Wireless Charging case, plus a swipe to change volume feature. You move the finger up or down the stems to change the volume. The new AirPods are available for preorder today, and out Friday, September 18th.

I’m Clark Reid, showing you the exit to the Apple reality distortion field for today!

Google Avoids Another Breakup Attempt; FTC Alleges Amazon Rigged Ad Auctions; Uber Deleting 3,000 Jobs; Apple Joins Google in Shameful ‘Lake America’ Label

Posted: September 2, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

When I read about attempts to break up Google…or for that matter, Meta or Amazon, I keep coming back to the government’s years long work on breaking up AT&T. How’d that work out? The pieces of AT&T basically reassembled as a couple large telcos, and now we have really 3 big cell companies…two of which are Verizon and AT&T…both large chunks of the old AT&T that was supposedly broken up. With that said, Google has dodged the bullet on another break up attempt by the government. Theverge.com reports that a US district Judge, Leonie Brinkema, has declined the Justice Departments’s request to make Google sell off parts of its ad tech business. The court DID say it would adopt most of the behavioral changes proposed by the parties, with some modifications. But those won’t become public until the parties meet to work out any additional proposed revisions and to review the judge’s opinion for confidential information that must be redacted. They could include proposals like restricting Google from using self-preferencing ad auction tactics or letting third-party ad tech tools access the same real-time information as Google. Google can still appeal, but they may really want to go with this deal, and at least put off risking a ruling that does force them to spin off part of their very lucrative ad business.

The Federal Trade Commission and 22 states have sued Amazon, alleging that it has conducted a secret scheme to overcharge advertisers for seven years. According to arstechnica..com, the filing asserts that Since 2019, Amazon.com, Inc. has secretly and systematically overcharged its approximately 1.2 million advertising customers by manipulating the ‘auctions’ that it uses to set the price of ads on its platform,” the lawsuit said. “Amazon represents, and advertisers believe, that competitive auctions set the prices for advertising on its leading e-commerce website. But, in reality, Amazon overrides and replaces the actual auction results with higher prices set by Amazon to increase its profits.” Amazon says the ‘FTC cherry-picked’ details, and that the lawsuit is ‘misguided.’ The FTC says customers paid more than they would have if Amazon operated the auction in the way it claimed it did. This should be an interesting trial to follow, unless the online giant decides to settle…with the Feds and 22 states after them, that might be their best option. 

Uber has chopped about 3,000 jobs, as it moves to what it claims is a more efficient organization. This will be close to 10% of the 34,000 employees of the ridesharing firm. Engadget.com says they are removing management layers and aiming to be  “simpler and faster.” Uber will continue to have its global teams based in New York and San Francisco, and will continue to have tech hubs, as well as regional and country-based teams. 

Apple has joined Google in caving to the whims of Donald Trump and his latest antic of renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. They had previously done so with the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. Techcrunch.com reports that the foolish name will only appear on the Maps app in the US, and not elsewhere. Reportedly, this came after a call direct from the White House to the C Suite at Apple. Also according to reports, rank and file Apple employees are furious that the top suits gave in to Trump on this ridiculous move. This has also caused Apple Maps users….like Google Maps users…to leave in sizable numbers and switch to Mapquest, which has stayed at the top of Apple’s App Store downloads, besting ChatGPT…which had been at the top for some time. It is rather appalling that huge tech firms fear a megalomaniacal president enough that they feel like they have to go along with such foolish and childish moves. It’s sad for us that we will have to put up with this clownish behavior for the next two years. As for me, I am unaffected…I will just keep using the Inrix map software in my car that I haven’t paid to update…so the lake will remain Ontario, as the gulf has stayed Mexico!

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

Europe EV Share Hits 25%; Apple Bows New Mac Studios; AI Hits Entry Level Jobs Hit Hardest by AI; OLED Xbox Ally X20-$1300

Posted: August 25, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

We all whine about the crazy bump in gas prices, mainly caused by Trump’s war of choice against Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Well, with the $7500 EV federal EV credit gone in the US, electric vehicle sales are down…but not in Europe. Thenextweb.com reports that in July, EVs hit 25% of total European car registrations! That is a 51% increase, year over year. The entire European car market grew 4.1% in July, while EV sales were up 37% in that period. The two biggest markets for EVs are France with a 35% electric share and Germany with 29.3%. Plug in hybrids were also up 15%. The Iran war and Hormuz blockade may be the best thing that has happened to the EV industry.

Ahead of the big iPhone and Watch rollout…expected in mid-September, Apple has unveiled new Mac Studio models, with M5 Max and Ultra chips. According to macrumors.com, Apple is saying that the new machines are up to twice as fast as before. The M5 Ultra chip includes an up to 36-core CPU that contains 12 super cores and 24 performance cores. It delivers up to 1.25x higher single-threaded performance and up to 1.3x higher multithreaded performance than the M3 Ultra from the previous generation ‌Mac Studio‌. The ‌Mac Studio‌ is also now available with the M5 Max chip, offering an 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 performance cores, up to 40 GPU cores, up to 128GB of unified memory with up to 614GB/s of memory bandwidth, and up to 8TB of storage. Pricing is all over the place, depending on configuration, but considering these are the top line Pro Apple computers, even the entry level price won’t be remotely cheap. Another thing…with all the devices branded as Ultra or super….what lingo will we be hearing 5 years from now when the latest, greatest devices come out?

AI has supposedly been tried by about half of us at this point. It isn’t materially affecting half of all of us in a big way yet, but it sure is putting the hurt on entry level job seekers. Arstechnica.com notes that a Stanford report shows that young employment in AI-impacted fields is down 19%, compared with more AI-resistant occupations. Older, more experienced workers seem pretty unaffected so far. The age group taking the biggest hit are those 22-25 years old. AI company Anthropic devised an economic index. According to it, jobs like “accountants and auditors” and “receptionists and information clerks” were among those judged most susceptible to AI automation, while jobs like “chief executive” and “registered nurse” were among those using AI augmentation most often. You can bet that plumber and electrician are barely affected at all! 

The Asus Xbox Ally X20 handheld, with a good-sized 7.4 inch screen will officially be shipping on October 15th. The base price is $1300, according to theverge.com. The price is a $300 bump from the original Xbox Ally X…which is still available. The $600 Xbox Ally is also still going to be in the lineup. Originally, the 20 was only going to be available with high dollar AR glasses, so while $1300 isn’t cheap by any standard…it’s a lot less than the bundle with AR glasses. If you do have a fat wallet or credit line, and want the whole deal, the bundled version at $2500 has the X20, the matching pair of 240Hz ROG XREAL X1 glasses (normally $849), and it’ll also come with a matching Dbrand Killswitch protective case for the handheld (with the hardshell screen cover, stick toppers and built-in kickstand), plus a branded Pelican case to schlep your gear around with you.

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

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