Tech News Weekly 412: Epic Win: Google Slashes Play Store Fees

Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent this week on Tech News Weekly. Apple is reportedly considering a partnership with Google to integrate the Gemini AI model with Siri. A new AI-powered smart ring is in development to record users' thoughts. Google is making modifications to its Play Store regarding third-party accessibility. And a group of employees from a company specializing in negotiating cyber-attack ransoms has been indicted for running their own cyber-extortion scheme. Abrar shares how Apple plans to partner with Google to utilize the Gemini AI model in its updated Siri model. Mikah talks about a new AI-powered smart ring in development that you can speak into to record & ask questions. Ryan Whitwam of Ars Technica joins the show to talk about the changes Google has been ordered to make to its Play Store to better accommodate third-party apps following Epic Games' lawsuit against the company. And Mikah shares a story about a group of employees at a company that specializes in negotiating cyber-attack ransoms who were indicted for, ironically, running their own cyber-extortion scheme. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Guest: Ryan Whitwam Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: veeam.com spaceship.com/twit zscaler.com/security zapier.com/tnw

OneDrive isn't just for cloud storage anymore. Paul Thurrott breaks down how Microsoft is quietly building it into an intelligent, all-in-one hub for your photos, docs, and daily digital life—long before most users catch on. Host: Paul Thurrott Download or subscribe to Hands-On Windows at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-windows Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

In episode 492, Scott Wilkinson answered a question from listener Andy Z about placement options for his new JMGO N1 Ultra projector in a room he was remodeling to be a dedicated home theater. Now, the project is finished, and the results are impressive! Host: Scott Wilkinson Download or subscribe to Home Theater Geeks at https://twit.tv/shows/home-theater-geeks Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Mac users, forget juggling third-party apps! Apple's macOS Tahoe finally gives you real control over your menu bar and Control Center. Check out how this long-awaited update could change the way you work every day. Exploring new default transparent menu bar background visuals Adjusting menu bar visibility and hiding options in System Settings Toggling menu bar background effects for better personalization Managing recent documents, apps, and servers through menu bar settings Adding, removing, and arranging controls in menu bar and Control Center Detailed walkthrough of menu bar settings like WiFi, Bluetooth, battery, Focus, and display Granular app icon management—allow or deny permission to show in menu bar Rearranging menu bar icons using command+drag Quick reset options and comprehensive clock display tweaks for the menu bar Host: Mikah Sargent Download or subscribe to Hands-On Apple at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Learn about the top iOS apps that help organize tedious household tasks on schedule while turning family coordination into something fair and fun. Plus, Life360's advanced tracking features give parents convenient insight into their kids' whereabouts and driving habits! Life360 app features for family and pet tracking, privacy tips Sweepy app helps divide, gamify, and organize home chores Maple Family Organizer streamlines family calendars, projects, and emails Under My Roof app for tracking home inventory and moving logistics Fridge Buddy app manages pantry and fridge supplies, tracks expiration dates News: Rumors on upcoming pro creative apps for iPad surfaced in code Shortcuts Corner: AssistiveTouch troubleshooting and shortcut trigger options Mikah's App Cap: CleanMyPhone is a free and paid photo cleaner apps for decluttering Rosemary's App Cap: Slider Photo Cleaner is a free swipe-to-delete photo tool Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Rosemary Orchard Contact iOS Today at [email protected]. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Is today's AI stuck as a "spiky superintelligence," brilliant at some things but clueless at others? This episode pulls back the curtain on a lunchroom full of AI researchers trading theories, strong opinions, and the next big risks on the path to real AGI. Why "Everyone Dies" Gets AGI All Wrong The Nonprofit Feeding the Entire Internet to AI Companies Google's First AI Ad Avoids the Uncanny Valley by Casting a Turkey Coca-Cola Is Trying Another AI Holiday Ad. Executives Say This Time Is Different Sam Altman shuts down question about how OpenAI can commit to spending $1.4 trillion while earning billions: 'Enough' How OpenAI Uses Complex and Circular Deals to Fuel Its Multibillion-Dollar Rise Perplexity's new AI tool aims to simplify patent research Kids Turn Podcast Comments Into Secret Chat Rooms, Because Of Course They Do Amazon and Perplexity have kicked off the great AI web browser fight Neural network finds an enzyme that can break down polyurethane Dictionary.com names 6-7 as 2025's word of the year Tech companies don't care that students use their AI agents to cheat The Morning After: Musk talks flying Teslas on Joe Rogan's show The Hatred of Podcasting | Brace Belden TikTok announces its first awards show in the US Google wants to build solar-powered data centers — in space Anthropic Projects $70 Billion in Revenue, $17 Billion in Cash Flow in 2028 American Museum of Tort Law Dog Chapel - Dog Mountain Nicvember masterlist Pornhub says UK visitors down 77% since age checks came in Hosts: Leo Laporte, Jeff Jarvis, and Paris Martineau Guest: Jeremy Berman Download or subscribe to Intelligent Machines at https://twit.tv/shows/intelligent-machines. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: threatlocker.com/twit agntcy.org spaceship.com/twit monarch.com with code IM

We've heard that Microsoft will go off script this year with a 26H1 release of Windows 11 specifically aimed at Snapdragon X2-based PCs, as it did with the early release of 24H2 last year for the first-generation Snapdragon X. Also, Microsoft's latest earnings call left analysts baffled as execs dodged questions about multibillion-dollar AI losses and the real story behind OpenAI's ballooning deficit.26H1! Now confirmed by the release notes of a Windows Update And the Dev channel will soon switch over to 26H1 testing, with Beta moving to 25H2 (from 24H2) Expectations? All three versions will be functionally identical except for some Copilot+ PC-specific features that may be briefly only on Snapdragon X2. And then there will be a 26H2 for everyone More Windows 11 Microsoft (over) simplifies its Windows Update naming scheme, and then has to backtrack a bit because of admin/IT backlash October Preview Update screwed up Task Manager a little bit Dev/Beta update noted above included a new build with Ask Copilot in the Taskbar, Full-screen experience for Xbox gaming handhelds, Shared audio over Bluetooth LE in preview, and improvements to the WOA Prism emulator (which partially explains the expectations bit above) Microsoft Edge password manager can now save and sync passkeys, but you should still use a third-party password/identity manager Microsoft Store gets a bulk installer but only on the web Earnings learnings Microsoft earnings: Revenues up 18 percent to $77.7 billion but cost of AI is spiraling out of control and will only get bigger this FY Productivity and Business Processes revenues up 17 percent YOY to $33 billion Intelligent Cloud revenues of $30.9 billion, a gain of 28 percent YOY More Personal Computing delivered $13.8 billion in revenues, up 4 percent YOY. CapEx/AI infrastructure build-out costs are $34.9 billion (vs. $20 billion one year ago), plus a $4.1 billion loss attributed to OpenAI that was mentioned in a 10-Q (SEC) filing but not in its earnings reports Paul's analysis sticks mostly to Wall Street complicity in Microsoft's earnings non-transparency shenanigans. This is getting weird, given the amounts of money we're now talking about This isn't a first, but Spotify's earnings announcements includes a few BS sleights of hand too AMD: 36 percent revenue growth isn't enough for Wall Street Alphabet/Google: Up 16 percent to $102.3 billion, ads are 72.5 percent of revenues Amazon: Up 13 percent to $180 billion in revenues, $30 from AWS Apple: Up 8 percent to $102.5 billion, this quarter will be its best ever AI, antitrust, & dev Epic Games and Google announce settlement in Epic v. Google, a dramatic common-sense move that Apple should (but won't) emulate Regulatory filings tied to Microsoft earnings suggest OpenAI lost $12 billion in most recent quarter Freed from Microsoft, OpenAI immediately signs $38 billion infrastructure deal with AWS .NET 10 to launch next week at .NET Conf 2025 Xbox & games Xbox Game Pass getting Call of Duty Black Ops 7, five more Day One games in coming days (with an *) Xbox October Update rolls out with game shader preloading on Xbox Ally, new modules in Game Hubs on console, more games to stream on Xbox Cloud Gaming, more Nintendo Switch 2 is off to a blockbuster first year with T These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly/episodes/957 Hosts: Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott, and Richard Campbell Sponsors: helixsleep.com/windows framer.com/design promo code WW 1password.com/windowsweekly auraframes.com/ink

AI-powered web browsers are hitting the scene fast, but Steve and Leo unpack why these smart assistants could usher in an era of security chaos most users aren't ready for. Brace yourself for the wild risks, real-world scams, and the privacy questions no one else is asking. Secret radios discovered in Chinese-made busses. Edge & Chrome introduce LLM-based "scareware" blocking. A perfect example of what scareware blocking hopes to prevent. Aardvark: OpenAI's new vulnerability scanner for code. Italy to require age verification from 48 specific sites. Russia to require the use of only Russian software within Russia. Russia further clamping down on non-MAX Telegram and WhatsApp messaging. 187 new malicious NPM packages. Could AI help with that? BadCandy malware has infiltrated Australian Cisco routers. Github's 2025 report with the dominance of TypeScript. Windows 11 gets new extra-secure Admin Protection feature. A bunch of interesting feedback and listener thoughts. And why the new AI-driven web browsers may be bringing a whole new world of hurt Show Notes - https://www.grc.com/sn/SN-1050-Notes.pdf Hosts: Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte Download or subscribe to Security Now at https://twit.tv/shows/security-now. You can submit a question to Security Now at the GRC Feedback Page. For 16kbps versions, transcripts, and notes (including fixes), visit Steve's site: grc.com, also the home of the best disk maintenance and recovery utility ever written Spinrite 6. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT bigid.com/securitynow threatlocker.com for Security Now

iOS 26.1 & macOS 26.1 are out now, with updates to Liquid Glass. Apple had big results in its Q4 2025. More rumors are emerging about Apple's entry into the low-cost laptop market. And Apple finally launches the App Store for the web! Apple releases iOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, other updates with Liquid Glass controls and more. iOS 26's Shortcuts app adds 25+ new actions, here's everything new. Charts: Apple caps off high-flying fiscal year with Q4 record. Apple results: Holiday dunks and questions dodged. Apple preps low-cost laptop to rival Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Hello, Robot: Sandwich launches "immersive commercial" Use the Apple Vision Pro app on iPhone and iPad. Apple launches App Store for the web. Apple debuts new Apple TV intro with music by Finneas following "Vibrant" rebrand. Apple's Eddy Cue, Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht talk 'F1' and Emmys success, upcoming slate, and launching a platform. OpenAI acquires Software Applications Incorporated, maker of Sky. Introducing WhatsApp for Apple Watch. Canva's new free Affinity app wants to sink the Adobe flagships. Tim Cook just turned 65, renewing speculation about his successor. Apple slices its logo for new Apple One branding. How Tim Cook evaded disaster at Apple this year. Picks of the Week Andy's Pick: Logoer Leo's Pick: Iconfactory Tapestry Alex's Pick: Shutter Encoder Hosts: Leo Laporte, Alex Lindsay, Andy Ihnatko, and Jason Snell Download or subscribe to MacBreak Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/macbreak-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zocdoc.com/macbreak 1password.com/macbreak threatlocker.com/twit framer.com/design promo code MACBREAK

From AI-powered code generation boosting productivity to adversaries using the same tools to hunt zero-days, the panel exposes the coming wave of AI-fueled cyberattacks—and why most companies aren't ready for it. Cotton blocks Trump-backed effort to make daylight saving time permanent The End of Cybersecurity Amazon says it didn't cut 14,000 people because of money. It cut them because of 'culture' Here's How the AI Crash Happens US government is getting closer to banning TP-Link routers Neato cloud shutdown sees robocleaners robbed of their smarts FCC will vote to scrap telecom cybersecurity requirements Trump FCC Votes To Make It Easier For Your Broadband ISP To Rip You Off Swedish Death Cleaning But for Your Digital Life The F5 Hack is a Big Deal OpenAI Releases Agentic Security Researcher 'Do not trust your eyes': AI generates surge in expense fraud Proton Data Breach Observatory aims to alert you in near real-time Using a Security Key on X? Re-Enroll Now or Your Account Will Be Locked YouTube denies AI was involved with odd removals of tech tutorials 10M people watched a YouTuber shim a lock; the lock company sued him. Bad idea. Samsung's $2000 smart fridges are getting ads - gHacks Tech News ESPN, ABC, and other Disney channels go dark on YouTube TV Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Jill Duffy, Alex Stamos, and Stacey Higginbotham Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ziprecruiter.com/twit zscaler.com/security miro.com canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT Melissa.com/twit