Consumer Tech
Devices, apps, operating systems and commerce.
Verizon Sent Me a Demo Phone. Then It Deleted My Grandmother’s Last Video.
Verizon sent a customer a store demo phone with an active MDM profile that remotely wiped all personal data. Learn about your rights under the CCPA.
AMD Quietly Strips Cold Boot Protection From Consumer CPUs After Years of Silent Support
A decade after AMD introduced Transparent Secure Memory Encryption to shield processors from cold boot attacks and physical memory exploits, the chipmaker has quietly disabled the feature on consumer Ryzen chips—without warning users or explaining why.
The Conversational Gamble: How Apple is Re-framing the AI Assistant
At WWDC 2026, Apple introduced Siri AI, a major conversational rewrite of its digital assistant featuring multi-turn dialogue, screen context parsing, a two-tiered hardware rollout, and tight integration with Google's foundation models.
AI Demand Tax: Why Apple is Preparing to Hike iPhone and Mac Prices
As tech companies battle for memory chips and TSMC processing power, surging hardware costs are forcing Apple to raise prices across its device stable.
Microsoft Plans Linux Tools and an RTX Spark Desktop for Windows Developers
Microsoft introduces the Dev Box, a specialized hardware solution for Windows developers featuring Linux tools and NVIDIA RTX Spark desktop integration.
Android 17 Starts Rolling Out on Pixel Phones and Watches
Android 17 reaches final release with Pixel devices first, bringing new multitasking features, enhanced security, and improved foldable gaming support. While many advanced features debut on Pixel hardware first, the security improvements will eventually reach nearly all Android devices.
Beyond AI: The Hidden Platform Improvements in macOS 27 Golden Gate
Focusing on the platform improvements of macOS 27 Golden Gate, specifically the new Liquid Glass opacity slider, parental control updates, and general fit-and-finish changes. While Siri AI took the spotlight at WWDC, these subtle changes significantly impact usability and aesthetics on Apple Silicon hardware.
Xiaomi MiMo Code: An Open-Source AI Development Assistant for Solo Developers
Xiaomi has released MiMo Code, an open-source AI assistant for developers claiming performance comparable to Claude Sonnet 4.6. The tool features multi-modal capabilities, agent collaboration, and long-horizon memory management designed to function as a professional development team partner for solo developers.
AcuRite Admits New App Falls Short, Delays Old App's May Shutdown to Fix Problems
Smart weather-monitoring device vendor AcuRite has delayed plans to force users onto a new companion app, acknowledging that AcuRite NOW lacks critical features and stability compared to the legacy My AcuRite application.
Native macOS Virtualization: Revolutionizing CI/CD Pipelines for iOS and macOS Developers
New virtualization techniques are enabling native macOS containers, potentially revolutionizing CI/CD pipelines for iOS and macOS developers by eliminating the Linux translation layer and providing true platform parity.
Beyond the Walled Garden: The EU's Order to Open WhatsApp to Rival AI Chatbots
EU regulators have issued a landmark antitrust order forcing Meta to grant competitor AI assistants free access to WhatsApp. This shift could redefine digital competition and user choice.