From PC Mag: If you’re buying an iPhone directly from Apple, there’s a new policy change you need to be aware of: the company now locks all carrier-financed devices to their respective carriers.

The change, spotted by a Reddit user in Apple’s FAQs for the iPhone 17 Pro, primarily affects customers...

From PC World: Yesterday was Patch Tuesday, which broke records. But Microsoft didn’t just fix a bunch of security vulnerabilities. They also rolled out update KB5101650 for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, which makes many new features available for all Windows 11 users—features that you previously had to...

From CNET: Get ready, Android users: Google will begin letting people download third-party apps from the Google Play Store next week, Bloomberg reports. This news comes after the five-year antitrust lawsuit filed by Epic Games, the creator of the popular video game Fortnite, concluded on Tuesday....

From PC Mag: OpenAI has been tight-lipped about the AI hardware it’s building with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, but a new leak reveals their first product could be a smart home speaker.

The speaker is reportedly designed to work as an AI companion at home. In addition to querying, the...

From PC World: The other day, we reported that Microsoft had patched RoguePlanet, a zero-day vulnerability in the Defender security app. RoguePlanet was a serious flaw that allowed hackers to gain full access to vulnerable PCs, so the patch to Microsoft’s Malware Protection Engine was much needed...

From CNET: Parents in the US will no longer have to pay for a premium Spotify family subscription to set up a managed account for their kids, as the music streaming giant has made it free for all. On Wednesday, the company announced the immediate expansion of free managed accounts across all...

From PC Mag: Amid growing speculation around OnePlus’s exit from key international markets, a new report claims that the brand’s withdrawal from the US and Europe is set to be confirmed this week.

OnePlus has been a key Android brand for enthusiasts in the US and other regions, but the company has...

From PC World: Microsoft has discovered a new piece of malware that not only spies on data but also renders entire systems unusable. The malware, known as GigaWiper, combines several destructive functions with a powerful backdoor for attackers.

Security researchers at Microsoft Threat Intelligence...

From CNET: Music streaming service Spotify is getting new AI assistant capabilities, so you'll be able to ask contextual questions about the content you're listening to. You'll be able to have a "back-and-forth conversation" with Spotify to ask questions about music, podcasts and audiobooks in a...

From PC Mag: A new round of features for Waze aims to take Google's driving app in a more personalized direction–with AI riding shotgun.

The most significant change is one that people more familiar with Google Maps might have thought was already a Waze feature: the option of driving directions...