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ChatGPT Can Now Read Your iMessages on Mac—But It'll Cost You Full Disk Access
OpenAI has rolled out a plugin that lets ChatGPT read and send iMessages on Mac, currently limited to ChatGPT Work and Codex users. Setting it up requires granting the app "Full Disk Access" every step of the way.
Injured on Set, Hurst Steps Down; Bautista Takes Over as Kratos in Prime Video's 'God of War'
Prime Video's live-action "God of War" series has confirmed Dave Bautista as the new Kratos. Original pick Ryan Hurst was injured while filming a stunt earlier this year and needs months of recovery after surgery, prompting the production to recast the role at the last minute.
ChatGPT for Teens Goes Live — Its Promise to Alert Parents Within an Hour Has Child Safety Experts Skeptical
OpenAI has rolled out an age-tiered version of ChatGPT, ChatGPT for Teens, promising that human reviewers will flag and notify parents of high-risk conversations within an hour. But organizations like Common Sense Media and Fairplay say the company's track record and current systems make that promise hard to trust.
Can That Old Satellite Dish on Your Roof Still Get Free TV? Mostly No in the US, But the UK Has a Workaround
Hook the coax from that old DirecTV or Dish satellite dish into your TV and you won't get local ABC or CBS. Here's the difference in how they work, whether the cables can be reused, and why the UK's Freesat is the exception.
Walmart Finally Catches Up: Tap-to-Pay Coming to All US Stores by End of Next Year
Walmart and Sam's Club will roll out tap to pay starting August 24, 2026, with nationwide coverage expected by year's end—gas stations won't get the feature until mid-2027.
Each Ear Captures Its Own Shot: Apple's Camera AirPods Leaked, Using Visual Intelligence to Stitch Together a Full Image
Code and video leaked in the macOS Tahoe 26.7 beta reveal how Apple's camera AirPods work: each earbud captures a single photo, which software then syncs and merges together—with no support for video recording or personal photo-taking.
Hidden Door Handles Under Fire: Tesla and 10 Other Automakers Recall Over 4.3 Million Vehicles in China
Tesla has recalled nearly 3 million Model 3, Y, S, and X vehicles in China, joining 10 other automakers in a combined recall of over 4.3 million cars. The issue: hidden door handles that may become difficult to open after a power failure. China plans to ban the design entirely by 2027.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2 Drops October 20, New Mercs Take Over Night City
Netflix has dropped the first trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Season 2, confirming an October 20 premiere. The CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger sequel swaps in a brand-new mercenary lineup, with a grittier art style to match.
Tokyo's Rolling Out a Conveyor-Belt Sushi Bus: Eat Kaiten-Zushi While Cruising Ginza and Asakusa
The double-decker bus has a kitchen on the first floor and conveyor-belt sushi seating on the second, launching in Tokyo on October 10. A 70-minute ride costs 16,000 yen per person, with a route that may pass through Ginza, Shibuya, and Kaminarimon.
GTA VI Footage Leak Continues, Take-Two Subpoenas Microsoft and Discord to Track Down Leaker
Just a week before Netflix's exclusive livestream countdown, GTA VI footage leaked unexpectedly online. Take-Two has now turned to the courts, demanding Microsoft and Discord hand over investigation records and account data tied to an identity known as "Cyberleek."
LinkedIn's "This Seems Like AI Slop" Flag Button Live for Weeks — Official Says AI Posts on Feed Down 40%
LinkedIn's test "seems like AI slop" report button has been used over a million times, according to Chief Product Officer Hari Srinivasan, who says reach for AI-generated posts has dropped nearly 40%. The platform is also rolling out a notification feature to alert users when their posts get flagged.
TikTok Settles Child Privacy Lawsuit for $400M, Timing Lines Up With New Ownership Structure
The DOJ says TikTok has made major changes to its ownership, management, and privacy practices, closing out a COPPA lawsuit that dates back to 2024. TikTok will pay $400 million, with $100 million of that held back until an old FTC agreement is formally vacated.
Apple Cuts Over 200 Jobs, Vision Pro Games and Immersive Video Teams Hit Hardest
Apple has reportedly laid off around 200 employees across its Vision Pro and Siri software teams, shifting its focus toward smart glasses and next-gen AI technology, with the high cost of producing Vision Pro immersive content seen as a major factor.
Apple Music Reportedly to Mandate AI Song Labels, "Made With AI" Set to Close Transparency Tags Loophole
According to Variety, Apple is reportedly developing a "Made With AI" label that would require songs with a "significant portion" of generative AI content to be flagged, closing the gap left by the earlier Transparency Tags system, which relied on labels self-reporting voluntarily.
Riot Games Halts Development on New Fighting Game '2XKO,' Updates End in December, Players Eligible for Refunds
Just about 8 months after launch, Riot Games has announced that '2XKO' will end active development in December, with a final content update coming in October. In-game purchases made before August 20 will be fully refunded.
TikTok Reportedly Withheld Algorithm Safety Feature for Testing, Teen Died by Suicide in Control Group
Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal have sent a letter to TikTok executives, questioning a 2021 algorithm test that reportedly denied some users access to a safety feature meant to prevent "content rabbit holes." A U.S. teenager died by suicide during the testing period.
Bilibili Drops Passport Verification, Hires in Six Cities to Take On YouTube
Bilibili has relaunched its overseas app and scrapped identity verification requirements, while hiring simultaneously in six cities including Los Angeles and London. It's prepping an English-language website to court YouTubers—but whether this path ends up mirroring TikTok's fate is the biggest question mark hanging over the move.
Google Rolls Out "Preferred Sources" Button for Websites, Letting Readers Subscribe to Content Feeds with One Click
Google has launched an embeddable "Preferred Sources" button for websites—once readers click it, that outlet will show up more often in search results and AI Overviews. Discover is also getting Gemini-powered conversational customization.
HyperX Launches First Open-Back Gaming Headset, Cloud Alpha Air, Priced at $150 with Focus on Bass Performance
HyperX enters the open-back gaming headset space for the first time with the Cloud Alpha Air, priced at $150. The headset features a Bass Tube design aimed at solving the common bass loss issue in open-back headphones, and is currently only available in a wired version.
Gamescom 2026 Opening Night Live Countdown: Geoff Keighley to Host Two-Hour Game Showcase
Gamescom 2026's opening livestream lands August 25, hosted by Geoff Keighley, with confirmed appearances from Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, Gears of War: E-Day, and a new Witcher 3 expansion.
No Deal, No Free Pass: Australia Passes New Law Forcing Meta, Google to Pay Up for News
Australia's parliament has passed a new law requiring tech companies with annual ad revenue over AU$275 million to pay a 2.75% tax on local revenue if they fail to strike deals with at least eight news outlets, replacing the old 2021 framework.
Fixed 400 Vulnerabilities But Crashed Games Instead, This Windows 11 Update Leaves Gamers in a Bind
Microsoft's KB5121003 security update, released on August 11, patches over 400 vulnerabilities—but it's also causing game crashes, login errors, and system failures, with ARC Raiders and The Finals hit especially hard.
Park and Watch: Crunchyroll Rolls Out on In-Car Infotainment Platform Appning
Crunchyroll has started appearing on Appning, the in-vehicle app platform, with BMW models already onboard. The service is set to expand to over 40 car brands worldwide — though Sony and Honda's Afeela 1 has already been confirmed left out of the lineup.
Tesla Robotaxi in Austin Reportedly Goes Fully Driverless, Timing Lines Up Right Before Cybercab Reveal
Data from a tracking site shows all 170 Robotaxi trips in Austin over the past two weeks had no safety driver on board, involving 54 vehicles. The number isn't coming from Tesla or Musk — it's from a grassroots app.