Apple’s $50 Intelligence Usage Packs extend access to some AI features
After publishing a support article in early September outlining usage limits for some Apple Intelligence features, the company has updated Logic Pro with an option to "Buy More Usage" for a one-time purchase price of $49.99, as spotted by 9to5Mac. It has a built-in AI assistant to do things like "start a new song, set up a vocal track from a single prompt, or refine an active project."
These Intelligence Usage Packs, as Apple calls them, will allow users to continue accessing certain Apple Intelligence features that have usage limits because they rely on cloud-based AI models from OpenAI or Google Gemini. The Usage Packs can only be used …
Anthropic launches new Claude Fable and Mythos 5.2 models
Anthropic is announcing two new models today: Claude Fable 5.2 and Claude Mythos 5.2, which it says are designed to take on "daunting" technical challenges. The company claims the new models show improvements in coding, reasoning, and vision, and can generate outputs faster than the 5.1 versions of the Fable and Mythos models.
Claude Fable 5.2 is good at challenging software engineering problems, Anthropic says, and can orchestrate agent teams and tackle long-running projects. The new model has also solved some complex scientific problems, including two open theoretical physics problems.
During prerelease testing, the two models have "help …
You can grab three months of Game Pass Ultimate for under $20 per month
The price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate has fluctuated between $20 and $30 per month over the last year, but you can get three months of the top plan for around $19 per month. At Newegg, using the coupon code BNWF2656 at checkout knocks $11 off the usual cost of a three-month subscription. That brings the price down to just $57.99 for three months. In addition to full access to over 500 games on both Xbox consoles and Windows PC machines, the upgraded Ultimate plan includes EA Play and Ubisoft Plus Classics, which have their own libraries and benefits, and Fortnite Crew for full access to the Fortnite battles passes. On Xbox, Ultimate enables online multiplayer, as well.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (three-month subscription)
Where to Buy:
Previously a straightforward proposition, the service has undergone a variety of changes over the last year that has made it slightly less appealing. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate was previously $29.99 per month, but earlier this year Microsoft removed the Call of Duty games from the library, and in the process dropped the price to $22.99.
More recently, Microsoft added hourly limits to cloud gaming. All Game Pass plan subscribers previously enjoyed an unlimited amount of cloud gaming on their computer or mobile device, but now plans scale the number of included hours, with the Ultimate plan including 15 hours per month. That news came just weeks before announcing pay-as-you-go plans for non-Game Pass subscribers.
Other deals to consider
- The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is discounted to $269 at various retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H, a $70 break from the usual price. This eight-core, 16-thread desktop CPU is compatible with AM5 motherboards, and has a maximum boost clock of up to 5.5GHz out of the box, with full support for overclocking. It’s probably overkill for light gaming, but serious gamers and demanding PC users will get the a lot of bang for their buck with this AMD processor. The discounted price lets you reach near AMD’s fastest consumer chip offerings, and is much cheaper than the faster Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
- This Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Pokéball set is on sale for $159.95 at Amazon. That $40 discount is the largest we’ve seen since the collaboration launched back in March, and a remarkably good value for a set with 2,050 pieces. Once built, it’s a sizable set, standing 13.5 inches tall and 15.5 inches deep, and the Pikachu has posable ears and limbs. This seems like a fantastic gift, either to yourself or to another Pokémon fan you care about.
- Amazon has the Bose Lifestyle Ultra Soundbar marked down to $899, a $200 discount from the usual price. This Dolby Atmos-equipped soundbar supports eARC over HDMI, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for easy adjustments or listening to music, and has Alexa voice commands for when you can’t find the remote. You can also combine the soundbar with Bose Lifestyle Ultra Speakers for a proper surround system.
Instagram’s Effect Builder makes new filters from AI prompts
After expanding its Edits app to macOS last week, Instagram's next move is launching this Effect Builder that generates custom filters for your Stories posts with AI. Available now for US residents who are over 18, it has a prompt box for describing your filter idea to the chatbot, with an option to attach style reference images.
Then you can upload your own photos to preview the AI-generating effects, and ask for changes in follow-up prompts. There's also an option to allow Instagram's AI to rewrite your prompt, which turned my one-line test prompt "Make a filter that turns photos into comic book pages" into several AI-generated paragraphs …
James Gunn is out as DC movie leader
Soon, James Gunn and Peter Safran will no longer head up Skydance's DC Studios. After taking the helm of DC Studios as co-CEOs in 2022, Gunn and Safran are being replaced by former Marvel SVP of Production and Development Jeremy Latcham, Deadline reports.
However, Gunn and Safran will "continue to produce on various DC projects" and are still working on the Superman followup Man of Tomorrow, Deadline says. Gunn also posted on Instagram that he and Safran have "just been engaged on another DC project which I'm writing." In his Instagram post, Gunn said that his time at DC Studios has been "trying, to say the least. I dislike the at-times cor …
The future of AI hinges on… Jensen Huang’s sex life?
I would prefer that these people's sex lives were none of my business but I guess we have to talk about Jensen Huang and the National Security Incident. Who could have guessed that the guy who was out here signing titties might not have great judgment about how to behave around women?
Alice Huang - no relation to Jensen - is a former TV reporter. That was before she became "an executive" at Megaspeed, which bought $4.8 billion of hard-to-get Nvidia chips, starting around the time she was being photographed with Jensen in a Taipei bar in 2024. "To many in the industry, the well-funded push by Megaspeed into A.I. appeared to come out of nowhe …
Uber wants to park your car now, too
Uber announced the launch of Uber Parking, a native in-app reservation feature that allows drivers to find, book, and pay for garage and lot spaces ahead of time. The new feature is a result of Uber's recent acquisition of SpotHero, integrating a network of over 13,000 facilities across more than 400 cities into the company's platform.
The new feature works by tapping the new "Parking" icon in the Uber app to view an interactive map with upfront prices and arrival times. You can filter spots by self-park or valet, outdoor lot or garage, and whether staff are on-site. The app will prompt you to enter your vehicle details and license plate, a …
Sony’s new PlayStation Portal handheld includes ‘additional’ internal storage
Sony is launching a new version of its PlayStation Portal exclusively in Japan next month. The updated model will launch in the midnight black color option we've seen before, and will include "additional" internal storage for future-looking features.
It's the additional internal storage that's the surprise change to this particular model, which will be locked to Japanese language options and can only be used with a PlayStation account registered in Japan. Sony says the extra storage is for "future functionality" that it will announce once these features are finalized.
Sony is also renaming this particular Portal from PlayStation Portal Rem …
Trump’s 60 Minutes interview touched on AI safety, threat to arrest an AI exec
Asked about AI executives' warnings about their models' safety on 60 Minutes, Trump said, "I think that the risk is not nearly as real as it- as they talk, and I think the risk can be managed, and it's managed." He claimed the DOJ is managing that risk, saying, "We had a situation where somebody was reported to us to be doing something bad with AI. We called them very strongly and said, 'Get ready to go to jail. Please give your wife a kiss good night.'"
Trump refused to name the person or company he was referring to, but said it was the leader of an AI company, "One of the big ones." He claimed that after the threat of arrest, "this person …
Disney and Adobe are building generative AI tools together
The Walt Disney Company has teamed up with Adobe to develop proprietary "artist-led" generative AI models to support Disney's production pipeline. The multiyear partnership was announced today at Adobe's MAX conference, and it will see Adobe providing Disney with early access to its latest technologies for everything from Disney's theme parks and cruise line to ESPN content. Disney and Adobe will also collaborate "to explore emerging technologies, including responsibly developed AI," according to Adobe's press release:
With Adobe Firefly Foundry, Disney will work directly with Adobe on generative AI models tailored to Disney's properties t …