Why does Apple keep banning Telegram, but never X?
For roughly an hour this week, Telegram vanished from Apple's App Store. Even during that blip, it was a stunning absence for such a major app: an avenue of communication for more than 1 billion users around the world, used widely as a secure platform for people who live in countries under censorship. Apple later revealed that it had removed the app due to the presence of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and restored it once that content was removed.
But the decision once again stirred up questions and confusion about Apple's moderation policies and how it treats different companies. And one company in particular sprang to many people's m …
Trying to explain One Night Only’s tech-enforced sex dystopia
From the omnipresent One Night Only trailer, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the movie glosses over its terrifying and absurd premise - in otherwise normal modern New York, single people can only have sex one night a year - to deliver an entirely traditional romantic comedy.
I'm here to report that it does not do that.
No, the film is very much about life under Sex Purge Law, but where you might expect questions of politics or religion or fear or humanity, there are instead questions of boning. Questions like "Who should I do sex to and why?" are explored in an episodic format that sees two special hot people (Monica Barbaro and Call …
Meta ordered to pay an additional $567 million in public nuisance ruling
Meta has been ordered to pay $567 million in the second phase of New Mexico's landmark child safety case, bringing total charges to nearly $1 billion for being a "public nuisance." In a ruling published on Thursday, the Santa Fe district court found that Meta's platforms are a "significant contributing cause" of a teen mental health crisis affecting public health and safety throughout New Mexico.
"This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families, and making sure that one of the world's largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence," New Mexico Attorney G …
Trevor Noah is hosting Google’s Pixel 11 launch event
Google is set to host its next live Made by Google hardware launch event on August 12th, and the company says in a new video that comedian Trevor Noah will be hosting the show.
The video indicates that the event will feature other celebrities and influencers as well, including Call Her Daddy host Alex Cooper (who was at the 2025 event), Indian cricketer Shubman Gill (who has starred in Pixel ads), Japanese actress Ayami Nakajo (who has also starred in Pixel ads), and NBA star / Google Performance Advisor Stephen Curry. (Cooper and Noah are also bringing shows to YouTube.)
Jimmy Fallon hosted the show last year, an event that my colleague V …
Jony Ive’s first OpenAI gadget is reportedly a hockey puck-sized smart speaker
The AI device OpenAI is developing with former Apple designer Jony Ive is "essentially a smart speaker without a display" that's battery-powered, doughnut-shaped and roughly the size of a hockey puck, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. The device, expected to launch in 2027 for a price over $300, reportedly "will have a unique look, complete with moving parts," including some that will move on their own to show when the device is responding or interacting with the user, along with lights, a camera system, and other sensors.
Gurman's sources also say the "battery-powered" device is designed to be "easy to carry around the home wit …
The AirPods Pro are $60 off, their best price since late June
Best Buy kicked off a sale on Apple products with discounts on its latest smartwatches to phones. Another deal that caught our eye is on the latest AirPods Pro, Apple’s flagship wireless earbuds, which are down to $189.99 ($60 off), with retailers like Amazon and Walmart matching the price. That’s their lowest price since Prime Day in late June, and just $20 shy of their all-time low.
AirPods Pro 3
The AirPods Pro 3 have a new design that improves their fit, superior noise cancellation, better bass, and fairly accurate heart rate sensors. Read our review.
Where to Buy:
The AirPods Pro are our favorite wireless earbuds to recommend for iPhone owners because they offer better sound quality than Apple’s entry-level AirPods. Our A/V reviewer John Higgins uses them more often than other pairs because of their, praising their excellent audio, best-in-class active noise cancellation, and just how easy they are to use. They also provide a tighter fit, making them more comfortable for some people, especially during workouts.
Beyond how good they sound, they offer a number of perks for Apple users. They can automatically sync with other Apple devices you’re signed in on, so you can move from taking a call on your iPhone to watching a show on your iPad. They also feature a built-in heart rate sensor that works with more than 50 workout types in Apple’s Fitness app, so you can use them as a fitness tracker of sorts.
Read our AirPods Pro 3 review.
The Zelda movie’s Ganondorf casting hints at more movies
Deadline reported Thursday that the upcoming The Legend of Zelda movie will feature Australian actor Uli Latukefu as the villain Ganondorf, and the publication notes that "We hear Latukefu inked a multi-picture deal."
Nintendo or Sony haven't formally confirmed that there's more than one movie in the works, though it's been rumored that Nintendo and Sony might be planning a trilogy. Still, it's not exactly unexpected that more Zelda movies might be on the way, especially given the huge success of the recent Super Mario films at the box office.
Nintendo initially announced the live-action Zelda movie, which it's making with Sony Pictures En …
Suno shares plans to combat spammy AI music
Suno announced plans to implement a new watermarking technology and download policy to limit the spread of spammy AI tracks and increase transparency. In a lengthy blog post, CEO and co-founder Mikey Shulman laid out the company's principles and the next steps for the company as it seeks legitimacy.
The company is rolling out new transparency tools, along with new watermarking and fingerprinting tech. Shulman says it aligns with "emerging industry standards" that will make it easier to identify Suno-generated content. He also says the company is aiming to partner with "distribution platforms on combatting fraud and misuse."
Last year, th …
Brendan Carr officially unleashes broadcast consolidation
The era of set broadcast ownership limits is officially over, after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted Thursday to end the national ownership cap rule.
The agency's two Republicans, Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, voted to end the ownership cap, which restricts broadcast owners from holding stations that reach a combined more than 39 percent of US TV households, while Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented. It formalizes a policy Carr has long criticized, and which he announced last month that he would seek to end at Thursday's open FCC meeting. In place of a set limit, the FCC says, there will now be …
OpenAI is giving ChatGPT free users unlimited text chats
OpenAI is making a big change for ChatGPT users on its free and Go tiers: Starting next week, users on those tiers will be able to have unlimited text chats with the chatbot, according to OpenAI. Right now, you may run into rate limits if you do too many text chats on those tiers, but those limits, just for text, will be going away soon. Messages that include things like file uploads and images will continue to have limits.
Next week, OpenAI is also adding a "Think" button for free and Go users that they can use to "access higher reasoning for harder questions." This week, for those users, the company is additionally upgrading ChatGPT's def …