Tech

A few days ago, Strava upset its users over some restrictive API changes. It might seem odd for one app’s users to fume over an API, but at the heart of the matter is the inherent messiness of fitness data. Here’s a typical scenario. Say you’re all in on Garmin’s platform. You use their watches for running and strength training. …

Google released the first Android 16 developer preview earlier this week and keen-eyed observers are already uncovering interesting tidbits, including one that hints about a much more useful future for Google’s AI assistant. In Android Authority, Mishaal Rahman writes about a mysterious new API in Android 16 called “app functions,” which appears to give Gemini Assistant agentic-like abilities to take …

Baidu’s robotaxi division, Apollo Go, just rolled out its latest robotaxi across multiple cities in China, and if stakeholders in the US aren’t nervous yet, they should be. The RT6 is the sixth generation of Apollo Go’s driverless vehicle, which made its official debut in May 2024. It’s a purpose-built, Level 4 autonomous vehicle, meaning it’s built without the need …

In 2018, the SonarPen debuted as a cheaper alternative to the Apple Pencil by using audio signals transmitted to the iPad over a cable instead of Bluetooth. Its creators are back with an upgraded USB-C version that introduces additional functionality, including tilt detection and an improved tip that now closely resembles the Apple Pencil’s. The SonarPen 2 is currently available …

The young streamer behind a viral meme coin called Quant was doxxed by the crypto community after he ripped off investors, as reported by Decrypt and The Crypto Times. During a livestream earlier this week, the kid giddily watched the price of his meme coin go up before selling his stake for $30,000 and flipping off viewers, causing its price …

Amazon announced today that it’s pumping another $4 billion into Claude AI maker Anthropic, bringing its total funding amount to $8 billion. This latest round follows $1.25 billion last September and another $2.75 billion in March. Along with the money, Amazon wrote in its blog post that Amazon Web Services (AWS) would be named Anthropic’s “primary training partner” and that the OpenAI …

For two decades, Google Search has been unstoppable. Invincible. So thoroughly dominant that would-be competitors often couldn’t even get funding, because investors didn’t see the point in trying. But earlier this year, a judge declared that Google’s power, and the way the company wields it, was an illegal monopoly. And so now the US Department of Justice has to figure …

Transferring your data from your old Android device to a new one will soon be less daunting, thanks to “Restore Credentials,” a new developer feature for Android which can keep you logged into your apps when you make the switch. While some apps already did this, Google is making it easier for developers to include this experience by implementing a …

The auto industry is sending an urgent message to President-elect Donald Trump: spare the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. In a November 14th letter to Trump and his transition team, the auto industry’s main lobbying group urges the new administration to preserve incentives for EV buyers and manufacturers that were enacted under President Joe Biden, arguing these policies keep the …

Apple is planning a major AI overhaul of Siri that will make the digital assistant more like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini Live, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The assistant, reportedly called “LLM Siri,” will be powered by Apple’s AI models and will let users have more conversational, natural-sounding interactions with Siri. As part of Apple’s plan …