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Tech News
Apple has started displaying advertisements in its Maps app in the US and Canada, marked only with a small 'ad' label next to some search results. The rollout is inconsistent—not every search or city shows ads yet—and there are no sponsored pins as seen in Google Maps, but unlike other apps, Apple has not provided any toggle to turn the ads off.
Google unveiled Gemini 3.5 Transcribe, a new speech-to-text AI model that detects over 85 languages, strips filler words, and reformats casual speech into clean, structured text. It can also learn custom vocabulary, capture alphanumeric strings like order numbers, and assign dialogue to up to three speakers with timestamps from recorded audio.
Arizona publicist Tracy Green earned over $500 in two weeks by sharing shopping links from ShopMy, an affiliate marketing platform, with her roughly 1,900 Instagram followers after a trip where friends swapped product recommendations. Another user, New York publicist Stephanie Dresher, began doing the same after realizing friends already asked her for outfit advice, turning casual recommendations into paid links earning 10% to 30% commissions.
A workplace analysis outlines seven common leadership behaviors that gradually erode employee morale and push skilled workers to leave their jobs. Rather than a single bad incident, the piece argues these are repeated patterns—like poor communication, favoritism, or lack of recognition—that accumulate over time until employees decide to walk away.
Dick's Sporting Goods is closing more Foot Locker stores in 2026 as part of an ongoing effort to shrink that chain's retail footprint. The company's stock dropped sharply after it issued a revised financial outlook, signaling that its turnaround plan for Foot Locker is behind expectations.
Apple has started rolling out advertisements within Apple Maps for users in the US and Canada, appearing both in the Suggested Places section before a search and among results afterward. Each ad carries a blue label marking it as sponsored, and Apple says ad interactions aren't tied to Apple accounts or shared with third parties. Users have no option to disable the ads, even if they subscribe to iCloud+ or Apple One.
Ikea revealed its new Yxstaby gaming furniture line at Gamescom in Cologne, developed jointly with Xbox's device design team after a chance meeting at Milan Design Week in 2024. The nine pieces include a wheeled charging side table, a cable-hiding toolbox that doubles as a laptop stand, a lounge chair with a controller pocket, and a rollable TV stand for screens up to 55 inches. Several items, like a D-pad-shaped cushion and a controller-holding platter derived from a stool design, directly reference Xbox's visual language.
ZDNET published a guide showing how an unused computer monitor can be converted into a functional television, typically by adding an external streaming device or tuner and speakers since most monitors lack built-in audio and tuning hardware. The guide is part of ZDNET's product recommendation coverage, which discloses that the outlet may earn affiliate commissions from linked retailer purchases.
Ikea has unveiled a new home furnishings line designed in collaboration with Xbox, drawing visual cues from the shape and design of game controllers. The collection reimagines gaming-related furniture, aiming to integrate gaming setups more naturally into everyday living spaces.
A 24-year-old investor who built a reputation as a prescient forecaster of artificial intelligence trends drew billions of dollars in backing from prominent financial circles. His fund's fortunes reversed sharply, transforming him from a celebrated prodigy into an example of how quickly Wall Street enthusiasm can unravel.
Apple's Find My iPhone can be turned off manually via Settings, but only after disabling Stolen Device Protection, a security feature enabled by default since iOS 26.4. Users are advised to do this at home to avoid built-in delays meant to deter thieves who know a device's passcode. Location sharing with specific contacts can also be stopped individually through the Find My app without disabling the entire feature.
Google Play awards points for purchases like apps, in-app purchases, movies, books, and eligible subscriptions, but many users never spend them. Those points can be exchanged for gift cards from retailers including Amazon, Starbucks, Best Buy, DoorDash, Walmart, Target, and Uber, priced at $5 for 750 points, $10 for 1,500, and $20 for 3,000. Unused points expire 12 months after the last account activity, with that window resetting each time points are earned or spent.