Facebook Plans ‘Community Notes’; Samsung’s Z Fold 8 is Sold Out Temporarily; Amazon Data Center Might Be Worst US Polluter; Europe-Free Sat Service Eases Tracking Wildfires

Posted: August 10, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

It’s been a feature…albeit a dubious one…on X for a while, and now Facebook appears poised to roll out Community Notes. I got a notice for this over the weekend and clicked on their waitlist. Facebook positions it as a way to ‘allow people across a diverse range of perspectives to decide when posts are potentially misleading or need more context.’ That’s all well and good, but if things work out like on X, a lot of the notes may contest actual facts, and present what a former Trump administration Press Secretary called ‘alternative facts.’ As long as we have them, check with Associated Press, Reuters, and other legitimate news sources if you are in doubt about the factuality of a topic. Snopes is always pretty good as well. 

After just putting along for years…no doubt a lot of that is due to the high price tags…folding phones are picking up steam. According to androidpolice.com, Samsung’s new Z Fold 8 is sold out for now. You can still order one through Amazon, although you get no estimated delivery date now for the $1900 buck handset.. You will get a $350 gift card though, useable at any Amazon retailer. It is expected that Apple will roll out their first folder in September, so expect the market to heat up on these high dollar phones with the nice big screen inside when unfolded. 

Amazon is installing 35 natural gas turbines to power a giant West Texas data center. Theverge.com notes that this gas-burning monster plant could become the largest single producer of greenhouse gas in the US. The GW Ranch secured a permit from Texas allowing emissions of up to 33 million tons of CO2…more than even the largest coal burning plant in the country! A number of huge data centers, after being rebuffed due to strain on the grid and the associated jacking up of electrical rates for rate payers…that’s us…are now looking to natural gas, coal, and other non-renewables. Alternatively, China is using more wind and solar power for their data centers. So much for the US being a leader in clean energy and protecting the climate. 

Having had a number of wildfires nearby, this sounds pretty interesting. Arstechnica.com is reporting that you can use the Copernicus Browser and get the latest satellite imagery from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel satellites to monitor wildfires. The resolution is as tight as 10 meters…or 32 feet. The images are only updated every few days, but the resolution is amazing…another tool to keep track of and fight wildfires. With climate change, this is becoming more and more of an issue.

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

Minn. ‘Nudification’ Ban in Effect; Ford CEO-Chinese EVs in US Next 5 Years; Apple Smart Glasses Aim at Health; Samsung Bans Smart TV Apps That Share Your Internet Connection with Strangers

Posted: August 3, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Despite Elon Musk’s xAI going to court to stop it, a judge has allowed Minnesota’s ‘nudificaiton’ ban to go into effect. xAI had filed an emergency motion, claiming urgent harm. The harm is actually to the people who are the victims of so-called ‘nudification,’ really. The term refers to using software to create nude images of people…something that has become more rampant and realistic with AI. You can take a photo of a person, and tell the software to create a nude photo of the person based on the clothed one and it does it. Mashable.com reports that Minnesota’s law also bans advertising or promoting services or software that can nudify images of people.There is a hefty civil penalty of $500,000 per unlawful access, download, or use…enforceable by the attorney general. A private right of action is allowed so people can sue the perpetrators. 

Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, told employees this week that Chinese electric vehicles could be showing up for sale in the US in the next 5 to 10 years. According to thenextweb.com, there are several layers of protection right now shielding the US market from the Chinese made EVs. Stiff cumulative tariffs for 125 percent, and a connected vehicle rule banning sharing of data back to China are two of the protections. The market will have to open soon…Canada has made a deal to allow up to 49,000 Chinese vehicles a year at a reduced tariff, and Mexico has permitted in Chinese EVs…which now make up about a quarter of Mexican EVs. Ford has its Universal EV Platform coming out in 2027, with a midsized pickup aimed at a $30,000 price tag…which would compete nicely with the Chinese EVs.

We’ve reported that Apple plans to show its smart glasses at WWDC next June, with them going on sale later in 2027. Now, 9to5mac.com says that Apple has some plans down the road for the glasses that move away from identifying things, and other typical smart glasses functions. Apple is aiming to have the smart glasses ultimately be more of a health platform. Fitness will be a major offering…perhaps a version of Workout Buddy will run on them. Cameras and sensors on the glasses could help guide you to better form, and alert you when you are doing something wrong. This might be a cool thing so long as the glasses are a Workout Buddy and not a Workout Nag!

It’s been some time since we reported on this, but as noted in the past, smart TVs can be porous with your information. Some makers even had to take action to make sure cameras and mics that could monitor what you were doing were…or could be shut off. Now, TechCrunch.com notes that Samsung is banning some smart TV apps that share your internet connection with strangers. The bad apps are kind of a shell with just a small amount of code….but contain software that funnels outsiders’ web traffic through ordinary home and office internet connections, known as residential proxy networks (or “resproxies”), which are increasingly being linked to cybercrime. When opened, apps with resproxy code can turn the smart TV into an always-on tunnel for outsiders to funnel their web traffic through, known as an exit node — even when the app is no longer open. Samsung says besides the ban, they are working to remove all apps that are available at their app store that have these nefarious components. 

I’m Clark Reid and you’re ‘Technified,’ definitely not ‘nudified’ for now. 

Samsung Unpacks Their Latest; Jack Dorsey’s Buzz Goes After Slack; Apple Lease to Buy Program; OpenAI Agent Breaks Loose-Hacks Competitor’s AI System

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

Samsung bowed their latest and greatest today, and the star of the show probably has to be the Galaxy Z Fold 8. 9to5google.com reports that the Fold 8 has a 5.5 inch outer screen and a big 7.6 incher inside when it’s unfolded. The handset is actually a good deal shorter, wider and a tad bulkier than the Fold 7. Even though a bit thicker, the phone is lighter, which is cool. It doesn’t only have 2 50MP cam sensors…no true zoom, just a 10 power digital zoom. The battery is 4800 mAh, bigger than the Fold 7, and it is a silicon carbon battery, not lithium ion. The fold 8 will start at $1900, $100 less than the Fold 7. There is also the Galaxy Z fold 8 Ultra. The Ultra is $2100, and has a sharper, brighter display. It is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery. If neither folder appeals…or you aren’t ready to drop that kind of cash, there is the Z Flip 8. The new 8 is slimmer and lighter than the 7. Otherwise, it is pretty well the same as the 7 feature-wise. The Flip 8 is $1200, which is up from the 7’s price. 

Jack Dorsey is best known for co-founding Twitter and also Block. Now, he’s at it again with a new app called Buzz. According to TechCrunch.com, Buzz is positioned as a competitor to Slack and GitHub…a group chat platform for the workplace. Buzz does put humans AND AI agents in the same conversation. Dorsey said in a statement that Buzz is “model-agnostic, decentralized, self-sovereign, and open source.” Buzz’s utility is that it merges several different workflows into one workspace. It looks a lot like Slack, but with native AI agents and the ability to manage GitHub projects all from the same window. Buzz’s free desktop app is available now for macOS, Windows, and Linux, and the code for the app has been uploaded to GitHub.

Apple is supposed to be preparing to launch ‘Apple Upgrade,’ a program of releasing new hardware. The launch date is planned for July 28th. Theverge.com notes that it is intended to replace the current iPhone Upgrade Program and standard financing for new iPhones. This Apple Upgrade program will offer 24 month leases for iPhones and Apple Watches, and 36 month leases for iPads and Macs. The less expensive devices like the base iPad, Apple Watch SE, and MacBook Neo are apparently not included. Klarna will be Apple’s financial backer for the new program, which will require a soft credit check to sign up. It looks like Apple is at least in part aiming to soften the price increases due to the rising chip costs. 

Whether you like or hate AI, or remain a bit skeptical like myself about it becoming ‘superintellegent,’ this ought to scare you. Benzinga.com reports that one of OpenAI’s most advanced autonomous AI agents broke out of a highly isolated testing environment, accessed the internet and hacked AI platform Hugging Face while attempting to complete its assigned evaluation objective. Hugging Face is an AI platform where developers build, share, test and deploy AI models, while OpenAI uses the platform to make some of its models available to the broader developer community. Hugging face and OpenAI cooperated on investigation of this…and Hugging Face says it was “driven, end to end, by an autonomous AI agent system.” As you might think, this revelation has intensified concern over cybersecurity risks increasing because of more and more powerful AI systems. Matt Suiche, an engineer at agentic AI cybersecurity company Tolmo, said the incident demonstrates that frontier AI models are rapidly approaching the capabilities of elite human hackers, while noting that similar attacks are already possible using technologies available outside leading AI labs. OK, are you a bit freaked out now?

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

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 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In 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. 

Samsung Will Discontinue its Messages App; Microsoft-Copilot Just for Entertainment Purposes; Used EV Prices Spike; LinkedIn Scans Chrome 6,000 Browser Extensions-Your Protection or Gathering Data?

Posted: April 6, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

If you have been using Messages on your Samsung device, get set to change apps. 9to5google.com reports that Samsung has put out an ‘End of Service Announcement’ for the US starting in July 2026. It will not affect really old devices, but if you have a halfway recent Samsung phone or the like…using Android 12 or newer…Samsung will guide you to Google Messages. This will happen with both an in-app notification and on-screen instructions. On Android 14+, the Google Messages icon will automatically shift to your home screen dock after switching. I couldn’t find where it imports your old messages, so you may be on your own on that.

We have done a number of stories that have covered how AI pretty frequently ‘hallucinates,’ or lies. Recently, the California Bar sent out a warning to attorneys telling them to check case citations and statute cites in filings with courts…or face fines and discipline should they submit filings with fake cases, etc. Now, it turns out Microsoft has re-affirmed that Copilot is for ‘entertainment purposes only,’ and if used for work, it should only be used as the first of multiple stages of fact-checking…rather than being relied upon. According to techradar.com, Microsoft says about Copilot “It can make mistakes, and it may not work as intended. Don’t rely on Copilot for important advice. Use Copilot at your own risk.” They are really trying to avoid liability here, and want users to know the AI is a tool, not a decision maker. Here’s the key line: “You agree to indemnify us and hold us harmless… from and against any claims, losses, and expenses… arising from or relating to your use of Copilot.” A hold harmless agreement…please do use it as a tool…it’s not ‘intelligent’ as the description Artificial Intelligence would imply!

This may seem to be a no kidding story, but Used EV prices are spiking along with gasoline prices. Wired.com notes that Cox Automotive data shows used EV prices up 12% since the 1st of the year. Edmunds also sees shopper research into EVs up several percentage points since the 1st of the year. So..just as Trump’s war has pushed gas prices up, and as the federal government discontinued the $7500 credit, so new EV sales fell and car makers throttled back production, the demand has gone up significantly for used EVs. EVs had been notably more expensive than gas models, but according to Cox Automotive, the average used EV is now just $1300 more than the average gas model. I know someone with a 120 mile a day commute. Even with a new $400 a month car payment on a used EV and the cost for charging it, he is saving $100 a month on gas. in 90 days, he will have erased that price premium. When the car is paid off, he will save even more. Food for thought in this time of extra pain at the pump. 

They claim it is for you protection, but every time you use LinkedIn on a Chrome browser, LinkedIn runs a hidden routine that probes your browser for more than 6,000 installed extensions, collects 48 hardware and software characteristics about your device, encrypts the resulting fingerprint, and attaches it to every API request you make during your session. Thenextweb.com reports that the scan is not disclosed in LinkedIn’s privacy policy. They insist that it is for your security. Ir also collects 48 different characteristics about your device. It collects info about competitors with its own sales tools, and also lists tools associated with neurodivergent conditions, religious practice, political interests, and job-hunting activity. The EU is investigating, as these qualify as sensitive personal data under their General Data Protection Regulation. Want to limit this? Use LinkedIn with Firefox, Safari, or another browser besides Chrome or Microsoft’s own browser. You will have to hunt for a setting to curb the scan, though. 

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

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked Highlights Feb ’26

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

After the usual multitude of leaks, today we got the official rollout of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series of smartphones with Galaxy Unpacked. Note that there are no folders today. Samsung generally releases those in late August, 2-3 weeks before Apple’s phone extravaganza. 9to5google. reports that maybe the biggest change is the pricing. We’ll get to that in a minute. The headline is that not much has changed from the S25 series. That’s not such a bad thing…the S25’s are great phones. The Galaxy S26 Ultra gets more rounded corners like the other top line S26 phones…which, in my opinion, it needed. It stays with the huge 6.9 inch display. The Ultra gets a unified camera bump, but visually, it’s pretty identical to last year’s model. 

The S26 and S26+ are virtually identical to the models they replace, again except for the updated camera module. The S26 and Plus both rock the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 system. The Ultra gets a new Vapor Chamber. One new feature on the Ultra is Privacy Display. What does it do for you? Well, if the system detects something that could be sensitive, like incoming notification, it obscures them from off-angle viewers. It is customizable, by the way. This is a good feature and it would be nice to be offered on the other two models. The S Pen on the ultra now only comes in black and white. 

The S26 does get a bigger battery, and the Ultra gets Super Fast Charging 3.0…up to 60W speeds. That’s great for people who seem to always forget to charge their phone overnight…we all know some of those people. You’re in the car and ‘Hey, can I borrow a cord and top off my phone…it’s about to die.’ The Plus and Ultra both get upgrades  to their charging speeds with Qi2 at 20W and 25W respectively. NO built in magnets, though. That is a drag. Both Google and Apple offer those. 

There are some minor software upgrades to the cameras, including the Ultra’s wider apertures and ‘Nightography Video’. Of course, Samsung is touting its more muscular AI. Samsung claims that with its One UI 8.5, it will ‘simplify’ your life. Nudge will make you ‘timely suggestions’ as you use the phone. Nudge…seriously? They named it Nudge. 

The phones will be out March 11th, with the same colors available on all three models. You can choose Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, White, and Black, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow kept as Samsung.com exclusive. Now for what we were waiting for…the prices. The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $12.99.99 for 256 gigs. The Galaxy S26 starts at $899.99 for 256 gigs, and the S26+ starts at $1099.99. You can get 512 gigs on all three models, or pick 1TB for the Ultra. 

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

Galaxy Unpacked This Week, Apple Multi-Day Product Reveal; Conduent Data Breach Expands; New Gaming Head at Microsoft

Posted: February 23, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

There are tech announcements pretty much continuously, but not many that get as much attention as those from Samsung and Apple. Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked is This Thursday…February 26th. The event is at 10am Pacific in San Francisco. In addition to new AI announcements, refreshed hardware is expected. Word is, the Galaxy S26, 26+, and Ultra will keep similar physical designs as the S25 models. The upgrades will be to screens, chips, and cameras sensors. The screens should grow slightly from 6.2 to 6.3 inches, and batteries will have a bit more life. One notable advance: the entry level S26 will get the 50 megapixel main cam its big brothers have. The Galaxy Z Trifold will probably get a mention, but as it was available in the US on January 30th- for the hefty price of $2900, don’t expect a lot of time to be spent on it.

What about Apple? Cupertino has announced that it will have the latest product introduction on March 4th. Unlike in the past, this looks to be a 3 day event instead of a single keynote rolling out all the new or upgraded hardware. According to techcrunch.com, some devices will be announced online, with the big finale being on March 4th. The events are going to begin New York, London, and Shanghai, instead of Cupertino. What is coming? It looks like the low-cost MacBook, iPhone 17e, iPad Air, a new entry-level iPad, and upgraded MacBook Air and Pro models. 

Don’t you just love when you get a letter saying some of your data was leaked. I just got one a few days ago. Now, Mashable.com says that the data breach by Conduent…an intermediary that handles data for corporations…had a bigger breach than originally announced. A LOT bigger. At least 25 million have been affected by the breach in just Texas and Oregon! Conduent handles data for corporations, Clients include: Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas. Data leaked includes users’ names, Social Security numbers, medical information, and health insurance information. One has to wonder at this point what…if any…of our data hasn’t been hacked and aggregated somewhere on the dark web. 

Microsoft had a shakeup after the head of gaming Phil Spencer exited after 38 years at the company. Now, Asha Sharma steps into that role. Geekwire.com notes that the new CEO of gaming will be tasked with turning around the ailing division. Sharma has been an exec at Facebook, Instacart, a startup, and finally Microsoft’s AI Platform. Although Sharma doesn’t have any video game industry experience, what she does bring to the table is decades of experience in running large tech platforms. She did say in an opening statement something that resonated with employees and gamers in this age of AI  and ‘soulless AI Slop.’ Sharma wrote that  “Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.” 

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

Samsung Unpacked Predictions; More iPhone Fold Leaks; Anthropic-Claude Will Stay Ad-Free; Homeland Security-Trying to Force Tech Platforms to Hand Over Data on Anti-Trumpers

Posted: February 4, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is coming up…rumored to be February 25th. Engadget.com reports that we can expect to see the next gen Galaxy phones…S26 if the current naming scheme continues. Word is, the design of the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra will stick with the form factor of the S25 series. All will run on the new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip…although like in the past, some areas of the world will get the Exynos 2600 chip. One upgrade users will notice…the S26 phone will have a 6.3 inch FHD+ display, which makes it a tad larger than the 6.2 inch display. The phones will have 12 gigs of RAM…becoming necessary for AI features these days, and will have either 256 or 512 gigs of storage…and a 4300mAh battery…which is a bit larger than before. The cameras will stay the same. One plus…the phones will fully support Qi 2 wireless charging. Also coming at Unpacked…Galaxy Buds 4 and the previously reported Galaxy Z Trifold…which as we noted earlier will run a mind blowing $2900!

We had a story earlier this week about how the iPhone Fold will have a bigger battery than most folders…a welcome bit of news. Now, according to 9to5mac.com, there are additional details that have leaked out about the folder from Apple…due out in September. One will require some retraining by users. The volume buttons aren’t on the left side, but have moved to the top right…like the iPad Mini. The power button…which also activates Touch ID…and the AI button (often used as the camera button) stay on the right side. Apparently Apple did this because the mother board is on the right side, and they didn’t want to run wires across and behind the screen to the left side for buttons. The Left side is completely screen structure and battery. There will be a single punch-hole camera, with a smaller and cleaner ‘Dynamic Island.’ The rear dual cams, microphone, and flash are all horizontal on the right side. It may be that only two colors will be available…black and white. This makes sense, since most people put a case on expensive smartphones like Apple’s.

OpenAI seems to be going whole hog on ads in ChatGPT. Meanwhile, Anthropic has announced that their AI chatbot Claude will remain ad free. Theverge.com notes that Anthropic announced in a blog post quote “We want Claude to act unambiguously in our users’ interests…so we’ve made a choice: Claude will remain ad-free. Our users won’t see ‘sponsored’ links adjacent to their conversations with Claude; nor will Claude’s responses be influenced by advertisers or include third-party product placements our users did not ask for.” Many platforms and web sites, as well as services from tech companies are doing fees…just think of all those you pay out monthly…$9.99 here, $19.99 there, etc. Let’s hope Anthropic doesn’t cave and eventually charge fees for using Claude AND add in advertising…as some have done!

In a truly scary move, the Department of Homeland Security is low-key demanding tech platforms hand over user information about critics of the Trump administration. Techcrunch.com reports that the department has relied on administrative subpoenas in most cases. They have gone after anonymous Instagram accounts that share posts about ICE raids, as well as accounts that have criticized administration officials or protested government policies. Unlike judicial subpoenas, which are authorized by a judge after seeing enough evidence of a crime to authorize a search or seizure of someone’s things, administrative subpoenas are issued by federal agencies, allowing investigators to seek a wealth of information about individuals from tech and phone companies without a judge’s oversight. Note that administrative subpoenas can’t be used to get contents of your email, or do online searches, or get location data. They CAN demand things like what time a user logs in, from where, using which devices, and revealing the email addresses and other identifiable information about who opened an online account. Something to be aware of in this era of Trump.

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

Samsung Bows Trifold Galaxy Z; Amazon Releases New AI Chip; Apple AI Chief Retiring; Your Boss May See Your Google Messages

Posted: December 2, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung has rolled out its Galaxy Z Trifold smartphone. The three panel phone will be available in Korea on December 12, and also will be released in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and the UAE. It won’t drop in the US until the first quarter of 2026. No pricing yet but it is widely expected to be over the $2000 price of the Z Fold two panel model. Interestingly, if you fold it improperly, it will vibrate and show an on screen alert to warn the user. It has a 10 inch inner screen, and a 6.5 inch outer screen when folded. It is a fat 12.9 millimeters closed, but a thin 3.9 mm…not counting camera bump…when unfolded. It is powered by a custom Snapdragon 8 chip, and has a 5600 mAh battery. The cameras? There’s a rear 12 MP ultra wide, a 200 MP wide angle lens, and a 10 MP telephoto lens. The main screen and cover screen both have 10 MP front cameras. 

Amazon Web Services, which has been building its own AI training chips for some time now, just introduced a new version known as Trainium3. According to TechCrunch.com, the 3 nanometer process chip brings a big performance jump from the last generation. Amazon says it is 4 times faster, and has 4 times more memory. The chips are also 40% more energy efficient. Also important…the Trainium4 chips are in development. That future generation will be able to interoperate and extend their performance with Nvidia GPUs while still using Amazon’s homegrown lower-cost server rack technology. 

Apple’s head of AI John Giannadrea is leaving the position, and will retire from Apple in 2026. Macrumors.com notes that he will serve as an advisor until his retirement. His replacement is an AI researcher that used to work for Microsoft…Amar Subramanya…who will step in as Apple’s VP of AI. Besides Microsoft, Amar spent 16 years at Google, where he was head of engineering for Google’s Gemini Assistant. This all comes in the wake of iOS 18’s major Siri failure. Apple is reportedly partnering with Google for a more advanced version of Siri and other planned Apple Intelligence features. 

Google has added a new app to company-managed Pixel phones that allows IT administrators to see all the RCS messages sent and received on specific devices. Androidpolice.com reports that this only applies to Pixels that are owned by companies. The purpose is a bit less nefarious than at first glance. It is to satisfy regulatory requirements that make businesses archive business messages in the event of a legal discovery situation or a freedom of information requests. In the past, the info was archived by carriers, and companies didn’t have to mess with this. Now that RCS apps encrypt, that isn’t an option…so Google has rolled out this archival application. To avoid the encryption issue, the messages are archived on the phone…and IT can see them remotely. You want to avoid your private messages being seen? Use your personal phone if you are messaging your sweetie.

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

Galaxy S26 Price Hike Rumor; Apple-Budget MacBook in 2026; OpenAI Launches Sora on Android; Norway Wealth Fund Thumbs Down on Elon Billion $ Payday

Posted: November 4, 2025 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Samsung is expected to goose prices on the Galaxy S26 models. Bgr.com reports that no exact money amount has been leaked, but with suppliers struggling to crank out memory and storage chips due to AI, it is looking more and more likely. Samsung upped prices in 2024 by $100. Apple effectively did this with its iPhone line…although Apple just quietly dropped lower memory options, which was an effective price hike…but needed, since the cheaper phones wouldn’t run their AI backed systems. With mobile chip prices up about 12% year over year, and camera modules up 7%, some sort of increase seems highly likely. Since they raised last year by $100, maybe we will see something like just a $49 increase if you preorder. We should know something before the end of the year.

A contingent of users of Windows, led by gamers, is not happy with a lot of Windows 11 features…Copilot for one, but especially the intrusive Recall feature that saves screenshots of everything you do. Some users have bailed for Linux, but a lot of people don’t have the tech knowhow or inclination for that. With the possibility of Windows 12 being subscription based, even more folks will be unhappy. There’s always Chromebook…and now, another option may be coming for those that want to ditch Windows. According to macrumors.com, Apple may launch a budget MacBook in the first half of 2026. A Bloomberg report has it coming in at ‘well under $1,000,’ which puts it in direct competition with reasonably priced Windows and Chromebook laptops. Right now, the cheapest Mac is $999, with $100 off for educational buyers. You can always get a Mac Mini for $599…but have to tack on a monitor, keyboard, and mouse…so no bargain there. The cheaper MacBook will allegedly have a 13 inch display and an A series iPhone processor instead of the beefier Mac processor….probably the A18 that came out in the iPhone 16 Pro. Bright colors are forecast like with an iMac…Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow. If they are able to do it for…say, $600, it might be a really big hit for Apple.

Android is finally getting OpenAI’s video app, Sora. Theverge.com notes that this will let users on Android create, share, and remix AI generated videos. You can download it from the Google Play Store now. The app has been out since September on Apple’s iOS. The app has gotten flack for its approach to deepfakes and copyright protections. OpenAI had to reverse its opt-out policy for rights holders and go to opt-in. OpenAI has also introduced the ability to create “character cameos” with reusable avatars, and eventually plans to give rightsholders the ability to “charge extra for cameos of beloved characters and people.”

Norway’s wealth fund has given a ‘thumbs down’ to Elon Musk’s trillion dollar pay package. TechCrunch.com says that at a bit over 1% of Tesla stock, this alone may nt be enough to defeat the proposal, but it will add to the recommendations of ISS and Glass Lewis that have recommended votings against the ludicrous package. Musk insists the compensation isn’t so much about money as control. Tesla doesn’t throw off near the profit to cover this kind of pay over a 10 year period, and Elon’s promise of robots and an upcoming ‘flying electric car’ hasn’t really moved anyone to throw strong support towards making him the first ‘Trillion Dollar Baby.’

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

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