Samsung Deletes Health Data If You Don’t Let Train AI; LAPD Lets Flock Contract Expire; Apple Stock in Record Territory-Traders Souring on AI; 200 Experts Urge Action Re AI Effects on Jobs
Posted: July 13, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, flock, Privacy, Samsung, technology Leave a commentIn a move that smacks of extortion, Samsung will delete your health data if you refuse to let it use your data to train its AI. Androidpolice.com reports that there is a new option in Samsung Health settings…it lets you turn off Samsung’s ability to use your data to train its AI models. That’s a good thing, BUT…there’s always a but…If you turn it off, then a warning pops up, informing you that turning this option off will delete your existing Samsung Health data and stop any further syncing with Samsung’s servers. It is pretty distressing that the largest smartphone maker by market share is using its might to hold your data hostage to their hungry AI model training program. They are no doubt betting that most people will just say ‘Oh, well,’ and go ahead and let them. A few will opt out, and their health data will go ‘poof.’ This is really not cool.
A number of municipalities are growing more and more uneasy about the intrusiveness of Flock cameras, as people have raised concerns…and hell at public meetings…over the invasion of privacy of the intrusive cameras. Now, the Los Angeles police will let a contract with Flock expire. According to TechCrunch.com, LAPD’s Chief Information Officer Dean Gialamas said in a statement “This contract is not being renewed because of serious concerns around civil liberties and civil rights issues, particularly around privacy and the data that is being collected from these cameras. The LAPD had to make a difficult decision, in this case discontinuing using Flock services until we can get those data, privacy, security and sharing concerns ironed out through a contractual relationship.” As the third-largest police department in the U.S., the LAPD is one of Flock’s largest government customers to date. Flock has a network of at least 80,000 cameras around the U.S. that scan license plates and allow police and federal agencies to track vehicles.
Apple stock is up 15%, adding nearly $600 billion in value since June 25th…putting them back in record territory. Macrumors.com notes that the uptick has come as investors grow uneasy about the mind-boggling sums of cash continually being poured into the AI data center buildout, despite there being no obvious indicator for when investors will get a return on their investment. Apple’s decision to sit out the data center spending spree and instead pay Google for access to its frontier AI models is being increasingly seen by traders as an asset rather than a liability. Apple is using Google’s Gemini to underpin the revamped version of Siri and new Apple Intelligence features across its platforms.
Over 200 researchers and economists, including 15 Nobel laureates and also researchers at AI companies Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI are urging governments and tech leaders to immediately put polices in place and set up institutions to address the economic impact of AI. Reuters.com reports that the group signing on to the statement are warning that the economic transformation could exceed the Industrial Revolution and do so in a ‘vastly shorter’ time frame…affecting workers, companies, and public institutions. “Steam, electricity, and computers each gave societies decades to adapt. AI may give us only a few years,” said Anton Korinek, professor at the University of Virginia. He continued “We cannot improvise our strategy and institutions in the middle of the transformation; waiting for certainty means arriving too late.”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Gemini Personalized AI Generation Free to All; Meta Contractors Posed as Teens to Check Competitor Chatbots; Apple May Have to Allow 3rd Party App Payments in Britain, South Korea-Spending A Trillion on Memory Chip Production Boost
Posted: June 30, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, technology Leave a commentGemini’s personalized Nano Banana-powered personalized image generation feature is now free for all eligible users in the US. TechCrunch.com reports that up to now, Google has only made it available to Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers. The Google Gemini Personal Intelligence feature allowing users to create images that reflect their unique interests. This means that images can be generated based on Gemini’s understanding of your likes and preferences without you having to specify them in your prompt. Gemini utilizes data from your Google account connections— such as Gmail, Google Photos, YouTube, and Search—to achieve this. It can also pull actual images from your Google Photos…so you don’t have to manually upload the pics. Google notes that the Gemini AI chatbot exceeded 750 million monthly active users earlier this year. That’s way more than a niche.
In an interesting bit of something resembling corporate espionage, Meta had hundreds of contractors pose as minors online and probe how competitor chatbots responded to prompts involving suicide, sex, eating disorders, and other high-risk subjects, according to internal documents and five people familiar with the project. According to wired.com, the effort targeted OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Character dot AI. The contractors were asked to create dummy under-18 accounts, send written prompts and images to rival chatbots, and copy the responses into spreadsheets. Some of the images contractors sent included pills, knives, nooses, and a medical diagram of a gynecological procedure. Out of nearly 4,000 prompts reviewed by Wired, hundreds focused on suicide and self harm, and there were about 240 involving sex or romance. There were a number that involved drugs, profanity and racial slurs. Meta has cast the effort as routine safety testing. Wired had a couple of attorneys look at the spreadsheets, and they opined that at least the work violates the terms of service of the competitors…and at worst could amount to anti-competitive practices.
The Brits are considering following what the Europeans have done..that is, forcing Apple to allow 3rd party app payments as well as Apple Pay rivals. 9to5mac.com notes that the British antitrust regulator has proposed forcing Apple to allow developers to link to third-party payment options to purchase apps and subscriptions outside of the App Store. The proposal would specifically ban Apple from using the same forms of “malicious compliance” it has tried in both the US and EU. The EU required Apple to permit third-party app stores, while a US court ruled that developers have the right to direct iPhone users to third-party payment platforms for app purchases and subscriptions. Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is now proposing to apply this latter rule in the UK. The CMA also proposes to force Apple to allow third-party rivals to the Apple Wallet app for contactless payments. This would enable competitors to Apple Pay.
The South Korean government and big tech companies are ponying up to the tune of a trillion dollars for several flagship mega-projects that could boost the global memory chip supply…something badly needed what with AI server centers gobbling up a big share of the chip supply. Arstechnica.com reports that the firms include giant Samsung and SK Hynix as well. Hyundai Motor Co is also hustling to build out humanoid robots via its Boston Dynamics subsidiary. South Korean President Le Jae Myung said in a speech “We must secure the core elements of AI faster than any other country.” Between the South Koreans, China, the US, and others…the race is on!
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Snap Bows AR Glasses; OpenAI Losing Billions; Apple 20th Anniversary iPhones-2 Sizes; Qualcomm Rolls Out Snapdragon Reality Elite for MR Headsets
Posted: June 16, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Tech, technology Leave a commentSnap has revealed Specs, its long-promised consumer smart glasses. TechCrunch.com reports that they will be available today for preorder, with a $200 refundable deposit, and are expected to ship this fall in the US, UK, and France. So you think they will be priced around the cost of a pair of Meta’s Ray-Bans? Good luck with that. They are $2195! While that is a far cry from Apple Vision Pro, the headset with f breathtaking price of $3500, it’s still quite a leap from $350 or $600 to $2195! Specs look pretty much like a fattened up regular pair of glasses. They may look a bit dorky, but here’s the deal…all the computing takes place on device, there’s no tethered puck to have to keep in a pocket or in hand. Specs run two Snapdragon processors, and they claim 4 hours of continuous battery life. You can pop them back into a case, and with case-recharging, you can get a total of 20 hours of use. Right now, they work for multiplayer games between two players with Specs, and they have a 51 degree field of view. You can surf the web with them, and they do have contextual AI. You can look at an object and asked about it, and the glasses will pull up info about what you are looking at. Specs will ship in two sizes…a 47 mm model and a 52 mm model. At 4.6 ounces and 4.7 ounces respectively, they are noticeably heavier than Meta’s Ray-Bans…the first generation Wayfarers weigh less than an ounce. Still, the almost 5 ounce weight is way less than an Apple headset that is a chonky 26.4 ounces.
Up to now, we have known that OpenAI was only taking in a relatively minuscule amount of revenue compared to operating expenses or capitalization. Now, leaked figures show expenses really do dwarf revenues. According to arstechnica.com, OpenAI’s revenue went from $3.7 billion in 2024 to a hair over $13 billion in 2025. Research and development expenses in 2024 were $7.81 billion, and in 2025 ballooned to $19.18 billion. In the ramp up to going public, OpenAI’s operating loss is shrinking as a percentage of revenue, but they are quite a ways from actually generating a profit. It is worth noting that many tech startups operate in the red for several years before turning a profit. OpenAI continues to raise money…another $122 billion in a round in March. They are presently valued at $852 billion.
For the 20th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple will sell two sizes of the devices…similar to the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max that are due out in just about 90 days. That would make them around 6.3 and 6.9 inches. Macrumors.com notes that most rumors point to and edge-to-edge display with curved glass on all sides, giving the visual effect of practical no borders. There should also be a 2nd generation foldable iPhone. All will be powered by a 2 nanometer A21 chip.
Qualcomm has bowed Reality Elite, a mixed reality chip platform with substantially improved AI processing for headsets and tethered glasses. In addition, they announced START, a white-label toolkit that gives eyewear makers a nearly complete smart glasses design that they can brand, customize, and ship without building the tech stack themselves. Thenextweb.com reports that Qualcomm is working on over 40 different wearable devices from jewelry to earbuds with cams, to pins and watches. CEO Christiano Amon in fact told CNBC that the single unifying principle is “something that you wear, something that is with you all the time, something that can see the world around you.” Back to Reality Elite. It is built to power two categories of gadgets. The first is standalone video-see-through headsets that overlay digital content on a camera feed of the real world, the approach used by devices like the Meta Quest. The second is lightweight, tethered optical-see-through glasses that blend digital imagery directly into the wearer’s field of view. It would seem a lot of tech companies are working hard on making an everyday carry device that is not a smartphone. Apple, Samsung, and Google certainly are!
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple WWDC Keynote 2026 Recap
Posted: June 8, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Tech, technology Leave a commentMacOS-the next version…MacOS 27 is called Golden Gate
Adjust Liquid glass from clear to tinted with slider. Sidebars now expand to left edge of window. App Icons are sharper and better defined.
Under the hood, a lot of tweaks have speeded up loading of apps and pictures on Macs and iPhones.
For WiFi when you are moving around, you won’t have to manually switch to cellular and back to disconnect from like an airport or coffee shop WiFi or the pestering Xfinity general WiFi that always tries to auto-connect
Index has been improved…which it desperately needed….so search will work better. Email search is also improved.
This is kinda cool…you can share photo albums with Android and Windows, and they can contribute to an album for say…a group or family trip.
Trust and Safety features- Child safety features have been expanded. Apple says they have conferred with a number of groups who specialize in child development.
Making the kid a Child Account blocks certain adult sites and enables parental controls. The kid can’t download an app without parental approval. Also, a new addition is ‘ask to browse,’ which works for kids under 13.
You can limit a child’s screen time. Apple calls this Time Allowances. They are based on the child’s age. Social medial is not allowed by default, but the parents can override this (you know kids will figure a work around instantly for this.)
Apple is launching a new website for parents to use the kid tools.
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AI and Apple
The real meat and potatoes of today’s keynote was all about the new, improved SiriAI. It was promised 2 years ago, but it is now here…at least for developers. The rest of us will have to wait until fall when the new operating systems are released. Apple’s Tim Cook says truly helpful AI must be centered around the user not just for its own sake.
Apple Claims the new Siri AI will be much more responsive and deeply integrated. Apple is being clear they have partnered with Google and their Gemini. They are trying to do as much as possible on device for privacy.
Higher accuracy dictation, and better language understanding are a welcome addition. I have gotten some pretty hilarious messages that Apple’s dictation mangled.
Personal context understanding…you can find items just by asking for them. Naturally, it can search the web, then boil down the info into an overview for you.
Privacy first…Apple is emphasizing how AI privacy is on by default…data is either on device or on Apple private cloud, where even Apple can’t see it.
The improved Siri includes personal context understanding and understands what’s on your screen. There is a new dedicated Siri App. It appears in the little bubble Apple calls the Dynamic Island at the top of the screen… which expands to present the answer.
You can have a picture on your screen, and ask Siri what and where it is and it will tell you.
The Dedicated Siri App lets you sync chats with different Apple devices. You can start a conversation on iPhone and continue on iPad or your Mac.
Camera gets a Siri mode…so you can aim cam at something and ask Siri what you are seeing…like foods, or use it on a restaurant ticket to split the bill.
You can ask Siri to generate a document, then go into that document and type. It automatically proofreads and will do so systemwide in real time no matter what app you are using.
A useful AI feature for Safari-it can organize your tabs into topics to make it easier to stay organized. Notify Me will monitor a site and bring that tab back when say, a product is back in stock.
The clean up feature in photos can let you shift perspective and move people around…like if you didn’t get the person or people centered in a pic. The item remove feature has been improved, too.
Siri AI will be launched later this year in Beta. It won’t be available in the EU or China at first, until Apple works things out with those governments.
I’m Clark Reid And you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Prime Day (Week) in June; User-Replaceable Batteries; Microsoft Surface Ultra-Their 1st MacBook Pro Competitor; Florida Sues OpenAI & Sam Altman
Posted: June 2, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Amazon, Apple, electronics, openai, Tech, technology, Travel Leave a commentAmazon has moved summer Prime Day up a month to June…June 23rd, specifically. Now, zd.com notes that Prime ‘Day’ has ballooned to 4 days…up from two the last few years. Amazon has Prime Big Deal Days in October, and Big Spring Sales in March…but the summer sale is their biggest. They will offer Big Deal Drops at 12 am, 8 am, and 1 pm Pacific…with generally up to 50% off on brands like LG, Ninja, and Stanley…as well as others. Amazon will also have 60% off on Alexa devices, and up to 65% off on Kindle, Echo, Ring, Fire TV, Blink, and eero devices.
The US government has been very hands-off on this, but the Europeans have been steaming right along, passing regulations on electronic devices that benefit consumers. Think of USB charging ports..which even made Apple give up their proprietary charging ports. Now, Theverge.com says the EU is stepping things up on reparability. New rules go into effect on February 18th, 2027. Users have to be able to remove and replace batteries with basic tools, or specialized tools that are provided with the product for free, and compatible spare batteries must be sold for at least five years. The tool requirement means swapping the battery doesn’t need to be as simple as popping off a clip-on cover, but can’t be much more complicated than removing a few standard screws. The regulation applies to headphones, e-readers, portable game consoles, laptops, and more. If it’s got a battery, it’s probably covered. There are two huge exceptions. Smartphones and tablets. They are covered by other laws. As a lot of phones are water resistant or even waterproof, the requirements only mandate that batteries must be replaceable by professional repair shops…but the batteries must be available to them to do the repairs. This is a real win against the ‘planned obsolescence’ the tech gadget manufacturers have borrowed from auto makers.
With the New Nvidia RTX Spark we just reported on, the upcoming Microsoft Laptop Ultra, which bows later this year, is expected to be Redmond’s first laptops that will really be able to compete with Apple’s MacBook Pro line. According to arstechnica.com, the new Ultra will be priced above the other laptops Microsoft sells, and will have plenty of accessory slots…USB-A, USB-C, HDMI, and also an SD card slot and headphone jack. For comparison, the MacBook Pro I write these reports on is several years old. It has Apple silicon, and besides a charging port, it rocks 3 USB-C ports, headphone jack, HDMI port, and and SD card slot. I use 3-4 of these slots regularly, so I think Microsoft has something here…all the slots you need, and a very powerful processing system that will run AI apps right on the machine. For those that are in the PC world and don’t love Macs, but need the power…the Ultra may be just the thing.
Florida is suing OpenAI and Sam Altman personally over the safety of ChatGPT. Thenextweb.com reports that there will likely be other states that will be suing OpenAI and Altman. This suit accuses OpenAI of violating product liability laws, engaging in deceptive trade practices, and releasing ChatGPT while knowing it was harmful to users. The state is seeking civil penalties and a court order blocking the company from collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent. This is the first government action that names Altman personally…seeking to hold him liable for what Florida calls “reckless and willful conduct” and “utter disregard for the risk to human life.” Stay tuned, there will be more of these filed by other states.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Microsoft Lets You Uninstall Copilot; Next Year’s iPhones-‘Radical’ New Design; SpaceX Pressed Pentagon to Pay More for Starlink; Google Smartglases Xreal Thinks It Has Cracked Smartglasses Code
Posted: May 26, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, iPhone, News, technology Leave a commentAfter only getting about 3.3% of users to pay for Copilot, Microsoft is finally letting users and administrators fully uninstall the Copilot app from Windows 11. Thenextweb.com reports that the April 2026 update is the one that allows this. The removal is a bit complicated for IT admins, but for home users, just go to Settings, then Apps, then Installed Apps, search for Copilot, and tap Uninstall. Microsoft notes that it can be reinstalled later from the Microsoft Store if you should ever want it.
There have been rumors for months about next year’s 20th anniversary iPhones getting something of a major facelift…including a curved display on all 4 sides, and under-display FaceID. Now, according to 9to5mac.com, the rumors have come into better focus. Earlier reports had an iPhone 20…or whatever they end up calling it…would be a brand new model. Now, supply chain reports indicate that the whole iPhone line will get the so-called ‘quad-curved screen’. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg had originally reported that the redesign would only apply to the iPhone 19 Pro and Pro Max. It does look like there will be a second generation iPhone Ultra…the folding phone…if hinge issues can be worked out, as well as a new iPhone Air coming in 2027 in addition to the iPhone 19 Pro models.
SpaceX has reportedly been using its market leverage to push the Pentagon to spend more on satellite internet. Reuters.com notes that weeks after the US military began its campaign against Iran, SpaceX executives reportedly met with Department of Defense officials to talk about pricing. The message from Elon Musk’s company was essentially: You’re paying about $5,000 per Starlink terminal monthly, but you’re using it like a higher-tier aviation subscription that costs $25,000 per month. Time to upgrade. After some haggling, the Pentagon caved, and now it has nearly doubled the cost of using LUCAS kamikaze drones. A DoD spokesperson told Reuters that the agency is shopping around for Starlink competitors…but the pickens are slim…with almost 10,000 satellites that account for about 60% of the global total in orbit, SpaceX has the upper hand…for now.
Smartglasses are about to replace smartphones…we’ve been hearing that for years now. TechCrunch.com reports that Google’s partner on smart glasses…Xreal…believes it has mastered what’s needed to do the trick. The thought is that some lightweight smart glasses could pull people away from staring at their smartphone screens, and just get the info they want or need by looking at the glass they are already wearing. So far, ‘everybody’s losing money,’ according to Chi Xu, the founder and CEO of Xreal. Major issues have been thought to solve with glasses…they are most all large, bulky, and need either an outside computer like a smartphone, plus an outboard battery pack…not exactly svelte. Xreal has solved part of the problem…the glasses aren’t thick and ugly, but Xreal’s newest model Aura is wired smart glasses that have OLED displays embedded within them, meaning that you can watch high-resolution videos within the frames themselves. Somewhat awkwardly, Aura comes tethered to a “puck” — essentially a phone-shaped mini-computer that powers the experience behind the glasses. When using it, you can ostensibly just slip it into your pocket. The glasses are available for developers now, and should be out to the public later this year. Xu thinks they may actually be able to break even on them next year.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Apple Announces WWDC, New Features & Watch Ultra; Google I/O News; Musk Loses in OpenAI Suit & Will Appeal; Iran Wants $ From Big Tech to Use Hormuz Undersea Cable
Posted: May 19, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, chatgpt, Google, iran, llm, openai, technology Leave a commentApple announced their World Wide Developers Conference today. It will start June 8th. Besides that, macrumors.com reports that the next Apple Watch Ultra is getting a new high blood pressure notification feature. It isn’t clear how this differs from the Hypertension Notifications they already have, but whatever it is…is under FDA review, so it might actually be able to give you blood pressure readings. The new feature uses the optical heart-rate sensor to analyze how blood vessels respond to each heartbeat. Apple is still working on blood-glucose monitoring. The actually had this a couple years ago, but the working model is too big to fit into a watch…and they need to shrink it down to fit…so not surprising that it is taking a while.
Apple has also updated accessibility features to use Apple Intelligence. VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control and Accessibility reader will all get the beefed up AI help. VoiceOver Image Explorer gives more detailed descriptions to the user….and lets you ask questions about what the camera viewfinder sees. Voice Control has natural language input, so you can describe onscreen elements conversationally. Accessibility Reader has added support for articles with multiple columns, images, and tables. It will also give on-demand summaries to you. This is a wild feature for those few users who have Apple Vision Pro headsets…power wheelchair control. The headset’s precision eye-tracking system can be used to control the chair for users who can’t use a joystick! Expect most of these features in the fall when iOS27 etc roll out.
The Google A/I 2 day developer conference got underway this morning, with a flood of announcements. First off, it’s Gemini 3.5, a new family of models. According to theverge.com, Gemini 3.5 Flash is now the default model for the Gemini app and AI mode in Search. The Pro version will be out next month. A new family of models is also out…Gemini Omni. This will be in the Gemini app, Google Flow, and YouTube Shorts. Omni Flash will be able to generate video clips from prompts that include a variety of inputs including text, photos, video, and audio (unlike Google’s Veo model, which is only text to video). Google also rolled out Spark, their response to the very popular OpenClaw. The always-on agent can write emails, make study guides, and watch for hidden credit card fees. Google AI Studio lets you build Android apps using prompts.
There was more, but in the spirit of a Steve Jobs ‘one more thing,’ Google showed an updated version of its Project Aura smart glasses. The refreshed compute puck has a fingerprint sensor, and has a lanyard so you can wear the puck and the glasses. Continuing on the glasses topic, there were 2 new pairs of Android XR glasses shown off…one from Warby Parker and another from Gentle Monster. Like the base Meta Ray-Bans, these glasses are audio only…no display…so not quite a return of the old Google Glass. Google has also launched Universal Cart. You can add products to it from YouTube, Search, Gemini, and Gmail. Google says this “intelligent shopping cart” works across different merchants and services, like Nike, Target, Walmart, Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Wayfair, and Shopify. So, you could add products from Nike and Target to your Universal Cart and check out from both at the same time. It will also spot and includes perks and loyalty discounts.
As you have no doubt heard, Elon Musk lost his suit against OpenAI yesterday. The jury only took 2 hours to bring the verdict. Cnbc.com notes that the primary issue was that the case was brought too late to make it in under the statute of limitations. Musk had claimed that OpenAI execs had ‘stole a charity’, with the change by the company to allow part of it to go public and be for-profit. It apparently wan’t lost on the jury and the court that Musk has a rival company in xAI, which is a for-profit entity…although it hasn’t turned any profit yet. OpenAI is now planning to move forward with its IPO stock offering this year. Musk is expected to appeal to the Ninth Circuit, as his attorneys say he lost on a technicality. It seems unlikely that the Court will buy that argument since the statute of limitations has long passed.
Not satisfied with trying to extract fees for ships getting through the Strait of Hormuz, now Iran is demanding that Big Tech pay fees for the undersea internet cables in the Strait. Arstechnica.com reports that the Iranians have specifically named Meta, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. They want to extract what they are calling license fees for use and maintenance of the cables. Tech firms are already looking at alternatives. Iran has intimated that they might damage or cut the cables if they don’t get their way. Cables do get damaged anyway, as some ships accidentally drag their anchors, or trawlers using weighted fishing nets do damage as they fish the sea floor. Te4ch companies are looking to bypass this extortion by using over land fiber optic cables. With huge data centers planned in the Middle East, more of those will need to be run, and soon.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
Amazon-Class Action Over No Tariff Refunds; Upgraded Siri May Launch in Beta; Next Wearable May Be Hairclip; Meta-Virtual Writing Coming to Meta-Ray Bans
Posted: May 18, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Amazon, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Google, News, Tariffs, Tech, technology Leave a commentA class action suit is going after Amazon, demanding that the online giant refund money to users that was collected under the now held illegal Trump tariffs. Engadget.com reports that the suit…which was filed Friday in Seattle, accuses Amazon of profiting from “hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful tariff costs.” Amazon is legally entitled to recover the costs after the Supreme Court decision ruling the taxes illegal. As of last week, companies started to receive money back from the US government. The suit says Amazon hasn’t engaged in this refund process, since it’s looking to “curry favor with Trump by allowing the federal government to retain the funds.” The suit continues, saying “Amazon has not returned any portion of those costs it passed on to consumers, and it has no intention of doing so. It has, in short, generated and retained a windfall from unlawful government action, and consumers — not Amazon — are the ones left paying for it.” Shipping companies such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL have already stated the process of getting refunds, and will pass the proceeds on to affected users.
After a couple years’ delay, the new, improved Siri may just launch in beta. Apple’s WWDC is coming up very soon, and the new Siri will certainly be an important component. According to appleinsider.com, the beta version will be able to be switched off, so you can use good old…make that bad old…regular Siri. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said the on-off button will be part of the iOS 27 release initially. Earlier this year, we reported that Apple was partnering with Google to use Gemini to bulk up the sorry Siri. Apparently, it is taking more time to get this done. I have ranted enough here about how terrible Siri is compared to Google, Alexa, and other assistants…so I suppose I will turn new Siri on…even in beta, it can’t be worse than what Apple has now.
It’s just sometimes fun to cover some of the hairbrained ideas that turn into improbable devices. This is one of those. Androidpolice.com says that a startup called Computer Angel has a prototype of a new wearable. It’s less obtrusive at capturing video than Meta’s Ray-Bans or the defunct Google Glass. Are you ready? It’s the DC Mini hair clip camera. While this looks to be a way to bring tech to more women…which is great…it is a long way from being anything but dorky. The hair clip camera is about a half inch thick, and 3 inches long. It not only looks silly, but with that size, it probably will be sliding down the hair constantly, and will need to be moved back in place. It is being sold as a ’stylish alternative to smart glasses.’ Well, no. It’s a dorky alternative. The startup is touting is as a storytelling device, to document your life…so-called personal vlogging. We’ll let you know if this thing makes it out of development. Computer Angel feels like it will be a big hit in China.
New features are rolling out to all users of Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses.They have been available in a developer preview. Theverge.com reports that you will now be able to write messages with just hand gestures. You do need to use the included so-called ‘neural’ wist band. Another feature being dropped is what Meta calls ‘Display Recording. With that, you’ll be able to capture a video that combines what you’re seeing in the lens display, what you see in the real world, and the audio around you. Walking directions are now available “throughout the entire US” and in “major international cities like London, Paris, Rome, and more.” And live captions will be available on WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and with voice messages in Instagram DMs.
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
WhatsApp Gets ‘Incognito’ Chat; Googlebook Will Replace Chromebook-Some Chromebooks Updatable Though; Apple-Many Changes for Next iPhone Camera; Heat Pump Startup from Former Tesla Exec
Posted: May 13, 2026 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: AI, Apple, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Google, googlebook, Tech, technology, WhatsApp Leave a commentWhatsApp is getting an AI chat function dubbed Incognito Chat, which will allow users to converse privately with Meta AI…Meta itself won’t be able to access the questions or answers. Wired.com reports that the new feature is based on WhatsApp’s Private Processing scheme that already undergirds WhatsApp’s present AI features. Meta says the intent of Incognito Chat is to offer AI integration that does not conflict with the communication platform’s commitment to end-to-end encryption, the privacy scheme in which only direct participants in a conversation can read messages or hear a call. Incognito chats are ephemeral by default and will disappear once your conversation is over. With more than 3 billion users around the world, Incognito Chat may offer many people their first opportunity to interact with an AI chatbot. So the fact that it is built to be privacy preserving is significant.
During The Android Show today, Google clarified that the Googlebook will essentially replace Chromebooks. According to 9to5google.com, Google has confirmed that Chromebooks will continue to be updated throughout their lifespans, while some machines will be eligible to move to the experience found on Googlebooks. It’s always good to find out that your old machine won’t become a boat anchor right away. While not giving specifics about models, Google said ‘many’ Chromebooks will be eligible to get the Googlebook experience. The Googlebook will apparently be positioned as a more premium line of hardware. Of course, the first ones to be released will be the ‘super premium’ models.
It looks like iOS 27 may completely overhaul Apple’s Camera app. engadget.com notes that well-known analyst Mark Gurman from Bloomberg says the updated app would make it more customizable and offer pro and hobbyist users more control over the image output of Apple’s phones. Apple is also adding new grid and level features while you’re capturing images and moving the toggle that lets you see all your available controls from the top right of the Camera app to the right of the shutter button. Siri’s changes are equally massive. Besides being smarter, the AI assistant’s glowing animation is moving from the border of iPhones, to a new home in the Dynamic Island as part of Apple’s planned updates. Users will also be able to type requests or searches through a new ”Search or Ask” interface that’s replacing iOS’ existing Spotlight Search.
A former exec from Tesla has started a heat pump startup. TechCrunch.com reports that the firm is called Sadi Thermal Machines and it actually started in stealth in the summer of 2025 in Scotts Valley, Ca. Drew Baglino is the CEO. He holds patents for a thermal management system that operates two coolant loops for cars…one cools the battery and another the drivetrain. The auto system is about the size of a suitcase. Baglino notes that making a heat pump for homes is easier than for a car because the vehicle “Is so constrained on mass and volume and energy.” A heat pump that can handle both HVAC and water heating in one unit is anticipated from the startup. Baglino said “We have learned a lot about how to make capable and reliable heat pumps that work in all environmental conditions and are excited about the idea of working on that problem one day. Let me put it that way, it’s definitely aligned with our mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.”
I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified’ for now.
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