The US embassy in Canberra formally objected to Australia's draft digital duty of care laws, which would require tech platforms to let users opt out of content algorithms or face fines. The submission argued vague definitions of 'harm' could enable viewpoint-based censorship, suppress independent journalists, and affect users globally, not just in Australia. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking during a US visit, defended the laws as returning control to individuals rather than governments.
Digital Realty's chief technology officer Chris Sharp says the data centre industry is moving away from copper for internal networking, though not electrical power or cooling systems. A typical 100MW facility uses around 400 tonnes of copper overall, with up to 20 tonnes used specifically in the wiring that connects servers together. Sharp argues this copper wiring between GPUs and CPUs is now a bottleneck limiting performance.
A growing number of people are buying gadgets, including a $60 plastic cube, designed to lock down smartphone features and reduce compulsive scrolling. These tools intentionally strip phones of advanced functions, pushing them back toward the simplicity of older devices.
Following the recent rollout of digital driver's licenses in Virginia and Oklahoma, Apple Wallet is expected to add support for Utah, Kentucky, and North Carolina in the near future. Utah has reportedly been detected in Apple's backend systems, Kentucky has completed a digital ID system upgrade tied to its planned launch, and North Carolina has publicly committed to Apple Wallet support by early 2027 as part of its new digital license system.
Ireland's Data Protection Commission, acting for the EU, fined Google €403 million (about $462 million) for mishandling location history and web/app activity data. The regulator found Google failed to be transparent about Location Accuracy on Android and unlawfully retained users' location data longer than necessary.
Apple's watchOS 27.2 beta 2, released to developers, brings back the App Switcher feature that had been removed in watchOS 27. Instead of the old double-click of the Digital Crown, users now activate it by pressing and holding the bottom of the screen while inside an app, then turning the crown to scroll through recent apps.
Napster, now owned by AI/VR firm Infinite Reality, has partnered with GEMS Education in the UAE to create AI-generated avatars of teachers that answer student questions around the clock in multiple languages. The system will run on Napster Learn and a wearable device called Napster View, with a rollout planned across GEMS Middle East schools by the end of 2026.
Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station claims the iPhone 20 Pro and Pro Max, expected in 2027 for Apple's 20th iPhone anniversary, will feature 6.41-inch and 6.96-inch displays, larger than this year's iPhone 18 Pro models. The leak also corroborates earlier Bloomberg reporting that the phones will adopt a quad-curved, nearly all-glass body with a metal band, replacing the current aluminum-and-ceramic-glass build, plus a shrunken Dynamic Island and smaller selfie cutout.
The European Commission has proposed requiring data centers with over 500 kW capacity to disclose their energy and water usage through a standardized rating system, similar to appliance energy labels. The rules would not cap power or water consumption but would require operators to report water use relative to local water stress and disclose whether they recycle waste heat back into local energy systems.
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that after years of brands chasing attention through content, emails and notifications, consumers are now seeking analog experiences like dinner parties, run clubs, and phone-free events. The piece suggests marketers should reframe their goal from maximizing time spent with a brand to helping people use their time more meaningfully.
Samsung phone owners have access to both Samsung Wallet and Google Wallet, which overlap heavily in basic functions like storing cards, tickets, passes, keys and IDs, as well as scanning physical cards via camera. Despite this overlap, each app has distinct strengths, with Samsung and Google diverging in areas such as ID support and cryptocurrency handling.
Apple's revamped Siri AI, launching with iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, is only accessible via a waitlist and requires devices from the iPhone 15 Pro series or later, or iPads with M1 chips or the seventh-generation iPad mini. The feature is currently unavailable to users with Apple Accounts registered in China or the European Union, and the most advanced capabilities like Expressive Voices are limited to iPhone 17 Pro models and newer.
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