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Nvidia agrees to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion
Nvidia has agreed to acquire AI platform Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, marking one of its largest deals to date. Hugging Face is a widely used online repository for open-source AI models and tools, serving over 18 million developers and more than 200,000 companies. Both firms stated the platform will remain open, and users will not be required to use Nvidia’s hardware or services. The deal follows significant recent security incidents involving AI models on Hugging Face.
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Xbox Game Pass to limit monthly cloud gaming hours
Starting November 2026, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will face hard monthly limits on cloud gaming—15 hours for Ultimate, 10 for Premium, and 5 for Essential plans. If you hit that ceiling, you’ll need to buy extra hours through the Xbox Store. Microsoft says this change, citing server cost pressures, only affects about 4% of subscribers, but it marks the end of unlimited cloud play.
US opens investigation after Tesla Cybercab launch
Tesla has begun operating its new Cybercab robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, offering rides in vehicles with no steering wheel or pedals. Within hours of the launch, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started an investigation into whether these vehicles comply with federal safety regulations. Tesla reportedly self-certified the Cybercab. There are currently 45 vehicles in the Texas fleet, with plans for significant expansion.
Apple working on AI-powered home security system for 2027
Apple’s planning a home security camera and monitoring service, with a launch targeted for 2027. According to multiple outlets citing Bloomberg, the device would use AI to monitor your space, focusing on privacy and skipping actual video footage. Details about the attached service or how it’ll work remain slim. The camera is expected to connect with Apple’s smart home hub, and both would link to upgraded HomeKit features already rolling out.
Google launches voice controls in Gmail, Docs, and Keep
Google is rolling out new voice-based features for Gmail, Docs, and Keep, called "Live". You can now ask for info from your inbox, draft documents hands-free, or create organized notes just by speaking. These tools use Gemini, Google’s AI, and are available this week for AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra subscribers on Android and iOS. Business customers with Google Workspace will get them soon.
Amazon cargo plane crash at Miami airport kills at least five
An Amazon-branded Boeing 767 cargo plane operated by 21 Air overran the runway while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, crashing into vehicles and catching fire. Authorities confirmed at least five people were killed. Several others were injured, including three critically. The flight originated in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It remains unclear whether those killed were onboard or in struck vehicles. Flights at the airport were disrupted as emergency crews responded.
Apple names John Ternus as new CEO
John Ternus officially took over as Apple’s CEO on September 1, replacing Tim Cook, who is now executive chairman. Ternus marked his first day by joining both Weibo and X (formerly Twitter) with a simple “hello.” Apple’s leadership page now shows Ternus as CEO and board member and Cook in his new role. Ternus previously ran Apple’s hardware engineering.
Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI training
The Seattle Times and Newsday have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft, alleging that both companies used their journalism—sometimes including material behind paywalls—without consent to train AI models. The newspapers claim these models reproduce their reporting, reducing the need for readers to visit their websites and harming subscription revenue. The suit seeks the destruction of AI datasets, copies, and models built using their work. Both companies have yet to comment in detail.
Uber to cut over 3,000 jobs in global restructuring
Uber will eliminate more than 3,000 jobs worldwide, representing about 10% of its workforce, as it restructures operations and reduces management layers. The move affects both managers and other employees, bringing headcount to levels last seen in 2021. Uber’s leadership says the changes aim to make decision-making faster and free up funds for investments in core business areas.
Apple sued in UK over app tracking policy
Apple is being sued in the UK for $2.7 billion over its App Tracking Transparency rules. The lawsuit alleges Apple unfairly restricted third-party app developers' ability to track users compared to its own apps, giving its advertising business an advantage. The claim has been filed at London's Competition Appeal Tribunal and is led by Ann Pope, a former UK competition official. Apple has not commented on this case.
Judge blocks use of Twitter name by rival, allows 'Tweet' and bird logo
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction barring startup Operation Bluebird from using the 'Twitter' name, siding with X (formerly Twitter) in a trademark dispute. However, the judge found X likely abandoned the 'Tweet' mark and the bird logo, allowing Bluebird to use them for its own service, now called Tweet.app. The court's ruling is not final, and the case will proceed in Delaware.
Honda Prologue EV Outsells Chevy Blazer EV With CarPlay
Honda's Prologue electric SUV, nearly identical to the Chevy Blazer EV except for one thing, now outsells its Chevy counterpart by 166%. The key difference: the Honda version keeps Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone mirroring, while recent Chevys dropped them in favor of Google's in-car system. Both cars share parts and performance—buyers just favor the one that still plays nice with their phone.
WhatsApp adds bill payment for 22,000+ Indian billers
WhatsApp just rolled out a built-in bill payment feature across India, letting you pay everything from power bills to credit cards inside the app. The update covers 22,722 billers in 30 categories and works with UPI, debit, or credit cards. It's phased, coming to all Android and iOS users soon. This puts WhatsApp in more direct competition with giants like PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm.
Google Translate adds background and earpiece features
Google is updating its Translate app, introducing background translation for Android, which lets users keep live translations running while multitasking or with the phone locked. iOS is gaining support for hearing live translations through the phone's earpiece, a feature already available to Android users. These updates aim to make the app more useful in real-world settings, especially during longer translation sessions.
Apple Maps renames Lake Ontario to Lake America in US
Apple Maps now shows "Lake America" instead of "Lake Ontario" for users in the US, following an order from Trump last week tied to a trade dispute with Canada. Canadian users still see "Lake Ontario." This update comes days after Google Maps made the same change. The rollout on Apple Maps is gradual—some users already see the new name, while others don’t yet.
Microsoft starts reporting Azure sales figures quarterly
Microsoft will now report Azure’s revenue every quarter. Azure brought in $29.4 billion last quarter and $101.9 billion in the fiscal year ending June. This is the first time Microsoft has shared these figures, offering a direct revenue comparison to Amazon and Google’s cloud businesses. The new disclosures come alongside a shakeup to Microsoft’s financial reporting, consolidating business segments from three to two.
Flock police AI search tool reverse engineered
Wired reports that it has reconstructed Flock Safety’s AI-powered police search tool by analyzing code sent to officers' browsers. The tool enables searches by vehicle attributes or features captured by video, and includes an AI-driven watch list that triggers alerts when a person matching a description is detected. The software displays warnings about AI errors, but Wired found no effective method for users to assess result accuracy.
John Ternus officially takes over as Apple CEO
John Ternus just took over as Apple’s new CEO, replacing Tim Cook, who’s now Executive Chairman and staying involved in policy. Ternus moves up from hardware chief, stepping in right before a major product announcement expected next week. Inside Apple, he’s seen as quietly very competent. Some staff were already so used to the idea, they skipped his Apple Park welcome party.
Microsoft unveils Project Zenith, a Windows 11 for AI devs
Microsoft just announced Project Zenith, a Windows 11 version built specifically for AI developers. It's preloaded with coding tools like Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, and more—plus all the settings developers usually have to dig around to tweak. The catch: you'll need a machine with at least 64GB of memory and 250GB/s bandwidth. At launch, that's just AMD’s $3,999 Ryzen AI Halo laptop.
ByteDance secures $29.6 billion loan for AI spending
ByteDance has lined up a $29.6 billion loan from almost 30 banks worldwide. Sources told Economic Times Tech the loan is unsecured—that is, ByteDance isn’t putting up any collateral—and most of the funds are expected to back the company’s AI and data center expansion. Intense demand from banks let ByteDance raise the facility from an initial $20 billion, but the deal isn’t officially signed yet.
Apple updates TestFlight to fix app sort order bug
Apple has released an update to its TestFlight app, addressing a problem with the way beta apps were sorted in the interface. The new version, 4.3.1, corrects the sorting issue and includes other stability improvements and bug fixes. TestFlight lets developers distribute beta versions of apps to testers before public release. The company says the update improves the experience for users managing multiple beta apps.
Adobe names Anil Chakravarthy as new CEO
Adobe just picked Anil Chakravarthy to be its next CEO and president, starting December 1. He'll take over from Shantanu Narayen, who led the company for over 18 years and now shifts to executive chair. Chakravarthy most recently ran Adobe’s customer experience and global sales teams. Meanwhile, David Wadhwani, previously seen as a CEO contender, is leaving the company.
CD sales rise sharply after years of decline
US CD sales grew 58.6% to $171.1 million in the first half of 2026, according to new RIAA figures. Units sold rose 45.7% to 17.5 million, reversing a multiyear decline. Revenue for all physical media increased 25.9%, with vinyl also posting gains. Despite the surge, digital streaming remains the industry's largest revenue source. The reporting shift to wholesale values affects year-on-year revenue comparisons.
Apple lets developers drop Intel Mac support
Apple told Mac software developers they no longer have to support Intel-based Macs in universal apps, if their app requires macOS 13 or later. This means apps can now be built only for Apple Silicon chips, which Apple started using in 2020. Intel Mac users can still use the last compatible version. The move coincides with Apple's next macOS dropping support for Intel Macs entirely.
Leaks disagree on third iPhone 18 Pro color
Two major leakers can't agree on the third color for the iPhone 18 Pro, set to be announced next week. Fixed Focus Digital claims it's black, while Sonny Dickson has posted an image suggesting silver. The other two colors—one a deep red, the other sky blue—are widely agreed on. Whether the third shade will be silver or black is still being disputed by the sources.
Apple hesitant to rely on Intel for chip supply
Apple still doesn’t trust Intel to make its Mac processors, according to a new report. Even after talks reportedly encouraged by the Trump Administration, Apple’s not budging: Intel wants a contract before investing in capacity, but Apple insists on proof of scale first. Meanwhile, TSMC—Apple’s current chipmaker—remains its reliable partner, thanks mainly to a track record of delivering exactly what Apple needs.
Leaker claims iPhone 18 Pro chip details
A leaker on Weibo posted what they say are diagrams showing the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro’s A20 chip with seven graphics cores—one more than last year—and faster memory. The CPU layout appears unchanged, with two high-power and four efficiency cores, but the latter get a bigger memory cache, possibly up to 8 MB. These claims come from analyzing circuit diagrams, not the chip itself, and 9to5Mac notes these are still informed guesses, not confirmed specs.
Google backs hybrid battery project in West Virginia
Google’s teaming up with MN8 Energy and Eos Energy for a first-of-its-kind energy project in West Virginia. They’ll combine large-scale solar with both lithium-ion batteries (charge a few hours) and new zinc-hybrid batteries (hold power much longer) to keep clean energy flowing, even at night. The aim: power a new Google facility with steadier renewable energy and show others how pairing batteries can strengthen the grid.
Meta shows off Infrastructure Lab for AI hardware
Meta gave a tour of its Infrastructure Lab in Menlo Park, where it's building hardware meant to support future artificial intelligence projects. The company showcased equipment and research areas focused on advancing AI capabilities. This lab is where Meta says it's working to power its next round of AI systems.
Google named a leader in Gartner cloud services report
Gartner has recognized Google Cloud as a "Leader" in its 2026 Magic Quadrant for Strategic Cloud Platform Services. Google says this reflects its focus on reliable, secure infrastructure for demanding workloads, and highlights its co-designed hardware-software stack, dynamic infrastructure, and digital sovereignty features. The company claims its AI infrastructure now processes 3.2 quadrillion tokens per month, a sevenfold increase over last year.