GoKawiil
Tech News
Apple pulled its opt-in Advanced Data Protection feature for new UK iCloud users in February 2025, leaving anyone who enabled it beforehand with full end-to-end encryption on most iCloud data while everyone else in the UK cannot activate it. The piece traces this back to Apple's decade-long fight against government backdoor demands, including its 2016 standoff with the FBI over the San Bernardino iPhone.
At its Connect event, Meta showed off the Muse Charm, a small Tamagotchi-style device that runs its Muse AI assistant with real-time voice and an animated avatar on screen. Mark Zuckerberg demonstrated tapping a fingerprint sensor on the device to begin talking to Muse, describing it as fitting the full Muse experience onto something wearable on a keychain. Meta has only built a handful of prototype units and still needs to finalize the design, but is targeting a holiday shipping window this December.
Anthropic and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus have developed a software framework called the Model Hardware Standard (MHS) that lets lab instruments from different vendors communicate and be controlled by AI agents. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon demonstrated the system autonomously coordinating a robotic arm, a liquid-handling device and an analysis instrument without human intervention.
Google's Android Ecosystem President Sameer Samat told Tom's Guide that as foldable phones grow more popular, developers see greater incentive to build proper layouts for them. He said Google has simplified its developer tools and is in talks with app makers who haven't yet optimized for foldable screens, noting Apple's rumored iPhone Duo could add momentum to that shift.
Meta has introduced a new VR device shaped like glasses rather than a strapped-on headset, weighing about 100g compared to the Quest 3's 515g. The glasses rely on a separate wired 'puck' that houses the Snapdragon Reality Elite processor, 128GB storage, 12GB RAM, and battery, offering up to three hours of media playback. The device uses a 5K MicroOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate for watching video, gaming, and multitasking across virtual screens.
Rabbit has launched OS3, a software platform that lets users control desktop computers via a local agent from a browser, Telegram, iMessage, or the R1 device. Users can link up to five computers to one account, and the system routes requests—such as editing a spreadsheet—to the right machine. Rather than charging a subscription, Rabbit requires users to supply their own API keys from providers like OpenAI or Anthropic, or connect local open-source models.
Microsoft has shut down EvilTokens, a subscription-based cybercrime service sold via Telegram that used AI tools to break into Microsoft accounts and mine stolen inboxes for payment details and business contacts. The company said the service compromised roughly 12,000 accounts across 10,000 organizations by abusing Microsoft's device-code sign-in process, and it seized 50 websites and 150 domains via legal action. UK police separately arrested two men suspected of running the operation.
Microsoft and partner organizations dismantled EvilTokens, a phishing-as-a-service operation that used AI tools and device code phishing to compromise over 12,000 inboxes across more than 10,000 organizations. Following a US court-enabled legal action, Microsoft seized 50 websites and disabled over 150 additional domains linked to the operators, tracked as Storm-2992. The UK's Metropolitan Police also arrested two men connected to the scheme this month; both were released on bail pending further investigation.
Google has published guidance on configuring Android phones so they can be tracked if lost, including keeping software updated, verifying the linked Google account, and enabling Location services. Users are directed to enable settings under Security such as Find Hub or Find My Mobile, along with an Offline Finding option that requires a device PIN, pattern, or password.
Motorola is rolling out its Qira AI experience to additional devices in its Signature, Edge, and Razr lineups as part of the ongoing Android 17 update. Qira, first unveiled at CES 2026, merges Moto AI, Lenovo AI Now, Creator Zone, and Learning Zone into one assistant with shared memory across devices. Users can access it by saying 'Hey Qira,' tapping on-screen prompts, or pressing a dedicated AI key.
Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, working with Health-ISAC, law enforcement, and SpyCloud, dismantled the infrastructure behind EvilTokens, a phishing-as-a-service platform that had compromised over 12,000 Microsoft accounts across more than 10,000 organizations. The UK's Metropolitan Police arrested two men, aged 32 and 38, suspected of administering the site, following raids in Canary Wharf and Nine Elms; both were released on bail.
MediaTek announced the Dimensity CX C10 Max, its first chip in a new CX line, positioned between its RTX Spark and Kompanio processors. The 3nm chip will launch alongside Google's new Googlebook laptops on September 21, and appears likely to be built specifically for that lineup given MediaTek's history supplying Chromebook silicon.