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Tech News
According to a forum post addressed to Plex's drzoidberg33, Plex has laid off the staff responsible for building its player clients, following widespread complaints that the newer 'New Experience' apps crash and underperform compared to earlier versions. The poster says users have been turning to unofficial, 'vibe coded' third-party apps to get reliable media playback instead.
Supernatural, the VR workout app Meta had paused earlier this year, has relaunched on Meta headsets as an independent early access product. It costs $20 a month or $200 annually, matching its original 2020 pricing, and launches with thousands of workouts, remastered content, a new glacial-lake environment, and support for up to four users per household. Returning members keep their points, badges and streaks, with new weekly workouts promised starting at month's end.
Spotify has introduced a native in-car application that runs directly on vehicle dashboard systems rather than mirroring content from a connected phone. The app adds features such as video playback, synced lyrics, and improved playback controls designed for in-car use.
9to5Mac published a hands-on review of the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable iPhone, after a week of testing. The reviewer reports the device weighs 254 grams, measures 11.3mm thick when folded and 5.2mm when unfolded, and has a folded footprint of 117.8mm by 84.1mm, noting it feels more comfortable to hold than the iPhone 18 Pro Max despite being heavier.
Apple's first folding iPhone, the Duo, has a 7.6-inch unfolding screen, and within a week several major apps including Instagram, Threads, Slack and Google updated to properly support its larger display and vertical layout. Full compatibility requires developers to target the iOS 27.1 SDK. The device launches seven years after Samsung's original Galaxy Fold, with an IP68 rating and a largely concealed crease thanks to its display design and matte nanotexture screen.
Serato released Serato DJ for iOS, bringing most of its flagship desktop DJ software's features to iPhone and iPad for the first time. The app supports stem separation, effects, EQ tools, BPM matching, key sync, cue points, recording, and compatibility with over 120 hardware controllers, plus Digital Vinyl Systems for scratching. Users can transfer libraries from Serato DJ 5.0 via USB-C or wirelessly, and the app costs $149 to buy outright or is included in a $14.99 monthly bundle with Serato DJ Pro and Studio.
Rocco is discounting its retro-style smart mini-fridge by $200 on its Graphite, Cream, Beige, and Green models, bringing the price down from $1,995. Buyers during the sale also receive a free case of Laurel's Lattes. The company is also reportedly preparing new color options for the fridge soon.
Sensor Tower reports Meta's AI app Muse became the 12th app since 2015 to reach 10 million US downloads within 40 days of launch, and the first since Threads in 2023. The firm says Muse's retention outpaces rivals like ChatGPT, Grok, and Claude, which saw far fewer US downloads in their first 40 days. The news comes as Meta has suspended Muse's conversation-sharing feature after researchers found it could expose sensitive personal and business data.
Meta's AI companion app Muse has logged 10.9 million downloads worldwide since its September launch, with 10.2 million coming from the US, according to Sensor Tower. That makes it just the 12th app ever to hit 10 million US downloads within 40 days of release, a list that includes Threads, Fortnite, PUBG Mobile, Pokémon GO and Disney+.
Apple is preparing to release iOS 27.2 next week with updates to six built-in apps. Highlights include a revived 'Suggested Actions' feature in Messages, a new user-profile selector for the Apple TV app on iPhone and iPad, Group FaceTime support for Dual Capture's simultaneous front-and-rear camera feeds, and new smart-lock controls in the Home app including a 'Lock After Closing' option.
Perplexity has expanded its Computer app so users can run its entire AI agent experience, including the orchestrator and harness, locally on an Apple Silicon Mac with at least 36GB of RAM. Users can pick between two local models, Qwen 3.6 or Perplexity's own fine-tuned PPLX Pro, and still call on over 15 frontier models when needed. The feature is rolling out now to Perplexity Pro, Max and Enterprise subscribers via the Mac app.
Perplexity has introduced a local-first option for its Computer agent in the Mac app, allowing both the AI model and the task-directing agent to run entirely on-device, including offline. The feature lets Computer plan, reason and process files locally, working with apps like Notes, Messages, Mail and Numbers, and only sends data to the cloud with user approval.