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How I turned my Apple Watch into a dumbphone (and why you should, too)

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET Dumbphones are becoming the solution du jour to the nationwide screen addiction issue. Search interest in the device -- whose primary capability is calling and texting (and not much else) -- has skyrocketed in the past year, according to data from Google Trends. Clearly, there's a heightened interest among tech enthusiasts and haters alike in an alternative to the endless pings, distractions, and social media doom readily accessible through their smartphones. Also: I repl

I'm Talking Back to Google's New Search Live Mode for AI Convos About Big Events

Google's latest AI addition makes Google searches conversational on your phone with Search Live -- and I love being able to interrupt it. While Google's AI Mode search has been available to Google Labs participants for some time, the company rolled out the Search Live function on June 18 for iOS and Android users. You can access it through a new AI Mode icon -- a star above three audio lines. This creates an ongoing conversation with Google's search engine that's significantly different than wh

Salesforce hikes Slack prices, adds AI tools for all paid users

What the Bot: Salesforce has decided to increase prices for certain paid Slack plans. The company is attempting to justify the change by stating that all customers will now have access to more AI features. And if you don't want or need AI, well, you'll likely end up paying more anyway. According to a recent announcement from Salesforce, Slack customers will now have to pay more but will receive new AI-based features in return. Paid plans for the service will cost a few dollars more per user, me

Scale AI not 'winding down' following Meta deal, interim CEO tells employees and customers

Scale AI's Interim CEO Jason Droege said in a memo on Wednesday that the artificial intelligence startup is not changing course following Meta's multibillion-dollar investment in the company last week. "Unlike some other recent tech deals you might have heard about in the AI space, this is not a pivot or a winding down," Droege wrote in a post directed at customers, employees and investors. Meta has a 49% stake in Scale after its $14.3 billion investment, though the social media company will n

Apple looking to make 'premium' priced folding iPhones starting next year, analyst says

People look at iPhones at the Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York City, U.S., May 23, 2025. Apple has plans to make a folding iPhone starting next year, reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said on Wednesday. Kuo said that Apple's folding phone could have a display made by Samsung Display, which is planning to produce as many as 8 million foldable panels for the device next year. However, other components haven't been finalized, including the device's hinge, Kuo wrote. He expects it to have "premium

This Huge 18.5-Inch FHD Portable Monitor Is 40% Off, Amazon Clearing Stock at Record Low

There’s nothing quite as frustrating as trying to work or multitask on a cramped laptop screen. Whether you’re crunching numbers in Excel, editing photos, or just want to stream a video while keeping an eye on your inbox, a second screen can make all the difference. And not just any second screen: this 18.5-inch portable monitor on sale at Amazon is a true game-changer. Whereas the majority of portable monitors top out at about 15 inches, this one comes in an XXL format that is notable for its

The ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Team Had to Fight to Keep One of the ‘Final Fantasy’ Set’s Best References

Magic: The Gathering‘s new Final Fantasy set is an absolute love letter to the beloved RPG series, with hundreds of cards making a flavorful nod to their source material in one way or another. But one of the most fun references in a set filled with them almost didn’t make it in—thanks to a quibble between Wizards of the Coast and Square Enix’s translation teams. In a fascinating new article about translating the Final Fantasy set for its English and Japanese-language versions shared on the offi

Iran’s Internet Blackout Adds New Dangers for Civilians Amid Israeli Bombings

Alimardani says that it appears mobile data services are patchy, and for many people virtual private networks, which can be used to avoid censorship, have stopped working. This means it has been difficult to reach people in the country and potentially for information to get out, Alimardani says. “Some family that left Tehran today were offline and disconnected from the internet and finally found some connectivity when they were 200 kilometers outside of Tehran in another province,” Alimardani ex

Amazon Rebuilt Alexa Using a ‘Staggering’ Amount of AI Tools

Daniel Rausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Echo, is in the midst of a major transition. More than a decade beyond the launch of Amazon’s Alexa, he’s been tasked with creating a new version of the marquee voice assistant, one that’s powered by large language models. As he put it in my interview with him, this new assistant, dubbed Alexa+, is “a complete rebuild of the architecture.” How did his team approach Amazon’s largest ever revamp of its voice assistant? They used AI to build AI,

OpenAI drops Scale AI as a data provider following Meta deal

OpenAI is phasing out its work with Scale AI and cutting ties with the data provider following Meta’s deal with the startup, an OpenAI spokesperson told Bloomberg on Wednesday. Sarah Friar, the chief financial officer of OpenAI, previously suggested the company would continue its work with Scale AI. Now, it appears OpenAI has changed its tone. OpenAI said it was already winding down its work with Scale AI ahead of Meta’s announcement last week that it was investing billions of dollars in the s

Topics: ai data meta openai scale

9to5Mac Daily: June 18, 2025 – Apple’s Siri timelines, HomePad rumors

Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by 9to5Mac Daily Plus: Get ad-free versions of every episode by visiting 9to5mac.com/join. New episodes of 9to5Mac Daily are recorded every weekday. Subscribe to our podcast in Apple Podcast or your favorite podcast player to guarantee new episodes are deliv

Kuo: Apple yet to finalize many foldable iPhone specs

Ming-Chi Kuo is out with an update today on Apple’s highly-anticipated foldable iPhone. According to the analyst, Foxconn is set to “kick off the project” later this year in late Q3 or early Q4. At this time, however, many of the component specifications for the foldable iPhone “have yet to be finalized.” The latest on the iPhone Fold One of the flagship features of Apple’s foldable iPhone is expected to be the display. While there are multiple foldable Android devices on the market, one of th

iOS 18.6 now available in beta, plus macOS 15.6, more [U: Public betas]

Last week Apple debuted its major new software versions coming this fall, including iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and more. But it isn’t finished with the current software cycle just yet, as the first betas for iOS 18.6, macOS 15.6, and more have now arrived. Update 6/18/25: Public beta versions are now rolling out too, a couple days after the developer releases arrived. Inside Apple, the vast majority of software engineers’ time has been dedicated, likely for a while now, to preparing iOS 26 and the oth

Topics: 18 apple ios new software

Apple’s Wallet app has key new feature for saved credit cards in iOS 26

Apple’s Wallet app is getting one step closer to actually replacing your physical wallet, thanks to a new iOS 26 feature that’s available for all saved credit and debit cards. Full credit card details can now be saved inside Wallet app in iOS 26 Last year in iOS 18, Apple launched a new Passwords app across its platforms. I use the app all the time, but there are some key missing features that still send me back to 1Password. One such feature is support for storing full credit card informatio

Google's AI-powered Search Live feature is here to further cannibalize the internet

Google's Search Live feature with voice input is now available on its app for iOS and Android in the US. You'll have to opt in to AI Mode in Labs to be able to access it, but after you do, you'll be able to have a back-and-forth voice conversation with Search. To use the feature, open the Google app and tap on the new Live icon to verbally ask a question. Google will respond with AI-generated audio, as well, and you'll be able to ask follow-up questions naturally. Under the hood, the feature is

Game Hacking – Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC)

Intro In 2002 Valve created an Anti-Cheat solution called “Valve Anti-Cheat” aka VAC. The first game they implemented VAC into was Counter-Strike. When VAC was introduced it only operated in User Mode (Still does) meaning it runs entirely in user space and has no kernel component. Below is a list of games that use VAC.. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Counter-Strike (video game) Counter-Strike: Condition Zero Counter-Strike: Source Counter-Strike 2 Day of Defeat

Elon Says He’s Working to ‘Fix’ Grok After AI Disagrees With Him on Right-Wing Violence

Billionaire conspiracy theorist Elon Musk really doesn’t like it when Grok says anything that contradicts his far-right worldview. And that’s exactly what his AI chatbot did late Tuesday when an X user asked whether people on the political right or the political left have been more violent since President Donald Trump was first elected in 2016. Grok said it was people on the right. Musk responded that he was working to fix Grok so it wouldn’t do that again. It all started on Tuesday in a tweet

Topics: grok left like musk right

We Did the Math: Trump Mobile Is a Bad Deal for Consumers

When the Trump Organization announced its new Trump Mobile cell service and gold colored T1 phone -- complete with an American flag on the back -- it raised a lot of questions. While most of them focused on the numerous mistakes and typos on the Trump Mobile site -- some of which have been fixed -- other errors and questionable policies, like calling RAM storage, not identifying the handset's processor or the fact that you can't get a refund for the T1 phone raised several flags for us. Even the

Facebook rolls out passkey support to fight phishing attacks

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Facebook is adding support for passkeys on its mobile app. That means you’ll be able to log into the platform using your device’s authentication method, like your fingerprint, face scan, or PIN, making it more difficult for bad actors to take control of your account. Passkeys offer a more secure alternative to typical passwords because they can’t b

Shares of Coinbase, Circle surge after stablecoin bill passes Senate

Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle Internet Group, the issuer of one of the world's biggest stablecoins, and Circle co-founder Sean Neville pose outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), on the day of the company's IPO in New York City, U.S., June 5, 2025. Shares of Circle and Coinbase rallied on Wednesday, as Wall Street cheered the Senate's passage of the GENIUS Act, which would establish a federal framework for U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins. Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, rose 22%

T-Mobile is ruining almost all of its plans with new taxes and fees charges

Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR T-Mobile will reportedly start charging taxes and fees on top of its tablet, smartwatch, and hotspot plans. Previously, these plans were still available with taxes and fees included in their monthly prices. The change is said to take effect as early as today, with wording on T-Mobile’s website suggesting they’re already rolling out. Earlier this year, T-Mobile made a pretty significant change (read: downgrade) to its unlimited plans. After almost a decade

T-Mobile’s new prepaid plans look great on paper, but is there a catch?

Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR T‑Mobile is shaking up its prepaid offerings with three plans, ranging from $40 to $60 per month for one line. The new plans largely look like an upgrade, but there are a few possible catches around prioritization and family discounts. The new plans look similar to what you’ll find from other prepaid plans based on T-Mobile’s network, though whether they are better or not remains unseen until we know a bit more. Earlier this year, T-Mobile unveiled its ne

Google Search’s AI Mode gets chatty with its new Search Live feature

Google TL;DR Google is rolling out a new voice search experience for AI Mode in the Google app for Android and iOS. The new Search Live feature lets you have a natural conversation with Google Search, much like Gemini Live. The feature offers AI-generated audio responses to your queries and lets you ask follow-up questions for additional information. Google previewed a new voice search experience called Search Live at I/O this year. Like Gemini Live, this new feature lets users have a natura

Topics: ai google live new search

OnePlus could challenge Lenovo with this rumored gaming tablet

Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR A Weibo tipster claims OnePlus is testing a compact gaming tablet with a 3K, 165Hz display. The device is said to have an 8.x-inch screen and a “geeky and simple” design. The rumored tablet would follow the recently released Pad 3 and the upcoming Pad Lite. OnePlus has been pushing hard into the tablet space this year, and we might be about to see the manufacturer expand those ambitions. If the rumors prove accurate, a OnePlus compact gaming tablet may be

Apple introduces new limited-time Apple Card sign-up offer: Earn $100 in Daily Cash

Once again, Apple has launched a new Apple Card sign up bonus for a limited time. Apple Card typically doesn’t come with a sign up bonus, but from time to time – Apple will launch these special offers through social media campaigns and targeted emails. Typically, I’d refer to an Apple Card sign up offer as “rare”, but there’s been so many in the past year or so that it’d no longer be an accurate term. Regardless though, if you sign up for an Apple Card normally – you don’t receive a sign up bon

Return to Silent Hill is coming to theaters next January

The third Silent Hill movie is still heading to theaters. According to Deadline, Return to Silent Hill will premiere on January 23, 2026. The film is directed by Christophe Gans, who also helmed the original 2006 adaptation. Return to Silent Hill is based on the 2001 game Silent Hill 2. (Bloober Team's 2024 remake was one of our favorite games of the year.) The movie adaptation stars Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson. Akira Yamaoka, the game franchise's original composer, handles the scor

You can search Google with a new voice experience - and it's pretty cool

Google / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET The Google Search experience remained relatively unchanged for decades, but the way you browse the web has been reimagined with AI updates such as AI Overviews, AI Mode, Circle to Search, and more. Now, Google is introducing a new way to search -- with your voice. Search Live On Wednesday, Google launched the Search Live with voice input experience in the Google app for both Android and iOS. With this experience, you can have a free-flowing conversation a

8 AI features coming to iOS 26 that actually excite me (and how to try them now)

Apple iOS 26 with Liquid Glass (from the Developer Beta). Jason Hiner/ZDNET Apple Worldwide Developers' Conference (WWDC) was expected to have little AI news -- but Apple proved everyone wrong. Even though Apple has not yet launched the highly anticipated Siri upgrade -- the company said we will hear more about it in the coming year -- when it came to event time last week, Apple unveiled a slew of AI features across its devices and operating systems, including iOS, MacOS, WatchOS, and iPadOS.

How to clear your TV cache (and why you shouldn't wait to do it)

Kerry Wan/ZDNET In the age of smart TVs, convenience is king. With just a few clicks, we can dive into endless entertainment -- but that ease comes with a downside: the buildup of cache data. Also: How to disable ACR on your TV (and why doing so makes such a big difference) Just like on your phone or computer, a cluttered TV cache can lead to sluggish performance, app crashes, and even hinder new content from loading properly. That's why it's important to clear all that extra cache and make y