gHacks Technology News

Google Extends Free Satellite SOS on Pixel 9 Phones for One More Year (2026)

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:05:53 +0000

Google has extended free access to Satellite SOS on the Pixel 9 series by one more year at no additional cost, a company spokesperson confirmed. The extension arrives as the original two-year free period for the Android phones, which started with the Pixel 9 launch in 2024, approaches its end.

"Confirming that we've extended this offering, at no additional cost, for one additional year," the Google spokesperson said. The company added that it had no further details to share, which leaves the long-term status of the service open.

Satellite SOS lets Pixel owners contact emergency services and share their location when no cellular network or Wi-Fi is available. It is aimed at situations such as hiking or traveling through areas with poor coverage, where a regular call or message would not go through.

Which Pixel 9 Phones Support Satellite SOS

The feature depends on satellite connectivity hardware inside the phone. On the Pixel 9 series, that is the Tensor G4 chip with its Exynos 5400 modem. Instead of reaching a nearby cell tower, the user points the phone toward a satellite and sends emergency messages by following the on-screen instructions.

Not every Pixel 9 model qualifies. Google supports Satellite SOS on these devices:

Pixel 9
Pixel 9 Pro
Pixel 9 Pro XL
Pixel 9 Pro Fold

The Pixel 9a is excluded. Availability also depends on the region, so owners of a supported model may still find the feature unavailable where they live or travel.

Google has not described any step owners must take to receive the extra year. Users who rely on the feature for trips can still check a few points before they leave:

Confirm that the phone is a Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, or Pixel 9 Pro Fold, not a Pixel 9a.
Verify that Satellite SOS is offered in the region they plan to visit.
Read through the on-screen satellite pointing instructions in advance, so the process is familiar before an emergency happens.

No Word on Future Satellite SOS Pricing

Google has not announced subscription pricing for Satellite SOS, and it has not said whether the service will become a paid offering once the extra year runs out. The published Pixel 9 specifications still refer to the original two-year period, which has not been updated to reflect the extension.

That leaves Pixel 9 owners with free emergency satellite messaging for one additional year, and no public information from Google about what the service will cost, or whether it will continue, after that.

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Anthropic Launches Claude Duet, a Background AI Agent for Claude Pro and Max Subscribers in the US (2026)

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:09:29 +0000

Anthropic has launched Claude Duet, a proactive AI agent that works in the background and alerts users only when something needs their attention. The company released Claude Duet as a research preview on Android, iOS, and the web. Access is limited to the US through a waitlist and requires a Claude Pro or Max subscription.

Claude Duet is powered by Claude Opus 5.5, Anthropic's model, and the company is positioning it for professionals and small business owners who juggle multiple projects at once.

How Claude Duet Works in the Background

Claude Duet does not wait for a user to type the next prompt. Each morning, the agent delivers a rundown of the important items from the apps the user has connected to it. Throughout the day it checks those sources again for changes and sends an alert when something requires action.

Users can also hand Claude Duet specific jobs. Anthropic lists tasks such as:

scheduling meetings
building dashboards
preparing financial and sales forecasts
prototyping and developing web apps

The agent runs inside its own virtual machine, so it keeps working when the user is away and no chat window is open. According to Anthropic, Duet also tries to judge which events deserve attention and when it should ask for permission before acting.

Privacy is the obvious concern for an agent with access to work messages and other sensitive information. Anthropic says Claude Duet does not directly access passwords or sign-in tokens, and that safeguards are in place to prevent the unauthorized sharing of highly sensitive data such as credit card numbers and government IDs. The company says it also tested the system for security.

Claude Duet Availability and Known Limitations

Interested users in the US need a paid plan before they can join the preview:

Subscribe to Claude Pro or Claude Max, since Claude Duet is not offered on free accounts.
Sign up for the Claude Duet waitlist, which is currently open only in the US.
After access is granted, connect the apps Duet should monitor for the morning rundown and daytime alerts.
Keep an eye on usage, because background work counts toward the same limits as the rest of Claude.

The last point matters for heavy users. Claude Duet shares the existing Claude usage limits, so tasks the agent runs while the user is offline draw from the same allowance as regular chats.

Anthropic is also open about the rough edges of the first version. The company admits Duet can be overly enthusiastic, and it says personal tasks such as booking tickets are not the best fit for the agent. Claude Duet cannot yet show users its browser, which makes it hard to see what the agent does behind the scenes.

The launch puts Anthropic alongside Meta Muse and OpenAI Dots, which also pursue assistants that act instead of only answering questions. Anthropic has not announced when Claude Duet will leave research preview or expand beyond the US waitlist.

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Microsoft Prices Xbox Cloud Gaming Playtime Passes From $3.99 for 10 Hours and Adds a Free Ad-Supported Tier (2026)

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:14:20 +0000

Microsoft has revealed pricing for Xbox Cloud Gaming playtime passes, which let players stream games beyond the new monthly hour limits without an Xbox Game Pass subscription. The passes start at $3.99 for 10 hours, and Microsoft is adding a free ad-supported tier alongside them. Both options are live for Xbox Insider Program members now, ahead of the November launch of the new gaming limits.

The passes arrive weeks after Microsoft announced the end of unlimited cloud playtime for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Starting in November, Xbox Cloud Gaming through Game Pass is capped at a set number of hours each month, depending on the tier.

Xbox Cloud Gaming Playtime Pass Prices

Microsoft is offering three paid passes plus the free option, all streaming at up to roughly 1080p:

10 hours for $3.99
25 hours for $7.99
50 hours for $11.99
30 minutes per session for free, with ads

"Cloud playtime packs provide an ad-free cloud gaming experience, including shorter wait times, high-quality streaming, and playtime that remains available until it's used," Microsoft says in a blog post. The hours do not expire until they are fully used, so a 50-hour pass bought now can cover sessions spread across the year.

The free tier works differently. During the Xbox Insider test, sessions are limited to 30 minutes. After that, an ad plays and the player has to re-queue to continue.

New Xbox Game Pass Cloud Gaming Limits

The playtime passes sit on top of the hour allowances that come with each Xbox Game Pass tier in the US:

Essential ($9.99 per month): 5 hours of cloud gaming per month, 50+ games, up to roughly 1080p
Premium ($14.99 per month): 10 hours per month, 200+ games, up to roughly 1080p
Ultimate ($22.99 per month): 15 hours per month, 400+ games, day-one Xbox titles, up to 1440p

Players who stream regularly can work out which option fits before the limits arrive in November:

Estimate the number of Xbox Cloud Gaming hours used in a typical month.
Compare that number with the 5, 10, or 15 hours included in the current Game Pass tier.
Cover any shortfall with a 10, 25, or 50 hour pass, keeping in mind that unused hours carry over until spent.
Use the free ad-supported tier for short sessions where the 30-minute cap and re-queueing are acceptable.

For players without Game Pass, the passes are a new way into Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft has been experimenting with other ways to reach players outside the console, including the Xbox Labs group for browser games.

The playtime passes and the free tier are limited to Xbox Insider Program members for now, and the session cap for the ad-supported option is described only for that test run.

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Pulsz owner moves Wisconsin gambling lawsuit to federal court (2026)

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 15:38:10 +0000

Pulsz owner Yellow Social Interactive Limited and co-defendant YSI US, Inc. removed a Wisconsin lawsuit to federal court on October 23, 2026, according to their notice of removal. The private civil case concerns online games the plaintiff alleges form an illegal gambling website under Wisconsin law. The filing concerns the court in which the dispute will proceed; removal itself does not decide whether the allegations are correct.

One count seeks $351,509, according to the filing

Jennifer Schmitz brought the state action in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court on September 14, according to the notice. The public federal docket lists the case as 2:26-cv-01968 in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and records its assignment to Magistrate Judge Nancy Joseph.

The defendants' summary lists claims under Wisconsin Statutes 895.056, 100.18 and 806.04, alongside breach of contract and unjust enrichment. The Wisconsin State Law Library identifies Section 895.056 as “Recovery of Money Wagered.”

According to the notice, Count II seeks $351,509 in pecuniary loss, plus costs and attorneys' fees. That is requested relief, not a damages award or an independently verified calculation of net gambling losses. The notice does not identify which legal theory corresponds to Count II or establish the combined value of every claim.

The allegations described here are drawn from the defendants' summary of the complaint. gHacks reviewed the removal notice; it did not independently review the original state-court complaint. The notice is dated October 22, while its federal filing stamp records October 23.

Defendants invoke diversity jurisdiction and preserve defenses

Removal allows defendants to bring a qualifying state-court civil action into federal court. Under 28 U.S.C. Section 1441, the receiving federal court must have original jurisdiction, and the action is removed to the district embracing the state proceeding.

The defendants rely on diversity jurisdiction. Section 1332 provides that basis for specified combinations of citizenship when the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000, excluding interest and costs. Corporate citizenship includes both the place of incorporation and the principal place of business.

The notice describes Schmitz as domiciled in Wisconsin, Yellow Social Interactive as incorporated and principally based in Gibraltar, and YSI US as incorporated and principally based in Delaware. The companies argue that the citizenship and monetary requirements are satisfied.

They also preserve an objection to personal jurisdiction: the court's authority over a particular defendant. That issue is separate from subject-matter jurisdiction over the type of case. Their removal filing presents arguments about jurisdiction rather than a judicial decision accepting those arguments.

The public docket copy reviewed by gHacks was last retrieved on October 23. It records the removal and assignment notice but does not establish every later development. Any request to return the case to state court, jurisdictional decision or ruling on the underlying claims would be a separate development requiring its own court record.

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Microsoft Teams Adds AI Phishing Detection for External Chats Starting in Early November (2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 02:13:23 +0000

Microsoft will start rolling out AI-powered, context-aware phishing detection in Microsoft Teams in early November 2026, according to a Microsoft 365 Message Center update (MC1519866) published on Wednesday.

The protection targets higher-risk conversations, with external first-contact chats as the main focus for most users, and IT administrators do not need to take any action to enable it.

The rollout starts with a targeted release phase that Microsoft expects to finish by mid-November. General availability worldwide is expected between early and mid-December 2026.

How Teams Phishing Detection Analyzes Conversations

Microsoft says the feature is meant "to help identify phishing, social engineering, impersonation attempts, and deceptive intent." Classic filters look for known indicators such as malicious links or attached files. The new Teams capability analyzes the context of a conversation instead, which lets it flag suspicious behavior in messages that contain neither.

This is relevant for chat-based social engineering, where an attacker may never send a link at all. A message from an unknown external contact can now be judged on its intent rather than on its attachments.

The capability first appeared in a Microsoft 365 Roadmap entry last week. The Message Center post adds the rollout schedule and the data handling commitments.

Privacy Limits and What Administrators Should Expect

Microsoft states that the detection system does not keep message content for later use. "This capability is used only for security protection and not for productivity, summarization, advertising, user monitoring, or other non-security purposes," the company said. "Customer message content is not retained by the detection system for model training or other secondary uses."

Because the protection is enabled automatically, organizations have little to configure. Admins who want to prepare can still do the following:

Track MC1519866 in the Microsoft 365 Message Center to see when the targeted release reaches the tenant.
Tell help desk staff and employees that Teams may start flagging external first-contact chats as suspicious from November.
Review who in the organization regularly receives first contact from external Teams users, since those chats are the main focus of the new detection.

The phishing detection is the newest entry in a run of Teams security changes. Microsoft previously said admins could block external users through the Defender portal, and in August it began rolling out a meeting protection policy that automatically blocks identified external bots from joining meetings.

Last month, the company said Teams will blur QR codes sent by external senders and let users report suspicious guest invitations directly in the app. In early October, Microsoft announced support for third-party deepfake detection and impersonation protection in Teams meetings.

Microsoft has not said whether the context-aware detection will expand beyond higher-risk scenarios such as external first-contact chats, or whether admins will get settings to tune it once it reaches general availability in December.

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Google Releases ChromeOS 156 With Gemini Talk to Type Dictation and Video Summaries on Chromebook Plus (2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 02:17:27 +0000

Google has promoted ChromeOS 156 to the Stable channel, according to the Chrome Releases blog, bringing most supported Chromebooks to platform version 16836.19.0 and browser version 156.0.8078.42.

The update adds Gemini-powered Talk to Type dictation, video and audio questions on Chromebook Plus devices, and the security fixes from the Chrome 156 browser core.

There was no ChromeOS 155. Google moved the Chrome browser to a two-week release cycle while keeping ChromeOS on a four-week schedule, so starting with version 154 ChromeOS skips odd numbers and jumps two milestones at a time to stay aligned with the browser it ships.

Google has not updated its ChromeOS release notes hub past version 154. The feature list comes from the Chrome Enterprise release notes, which tag the Chrome 156 features arriving on ChromeOS, and from Google's What's New in Chrome page.

ChromeOS 156 Gemini Features and Web App Changes

Talk to Type is the headline addition. The Gemini feature lets users dictate into any text field on the web, and inside Gemini in Chrome, while it rewrites the speech, strips out filler words, and handles corrections made mid-sentence.

Google is rolling Talk to Type out gradually on the server side, and availability varies by account and region, so the feature may not appear right after the update. The other user-facing changes in ChromeOS 156:

Gemini media understanding on Chromebook Plus, which answers questions about audio or video already played in a tab and can summarize a long tutorial or webinar
file uploads, file generation, and an interactive Quiz feature in Gemini in Chrome that turns a webpage, PDF, slide deck, or video into a study session
temporary sharing of saved Google Password Manager logins with Gemini Spark, so the agent can sign in to third-party web apps, with explicit consent plus a biometric or device unlock required for every task
Autofill with AI renamed to Enhanced autofill and expanded to more regions
the navigator.install() API and a declarative install HTML element for one-click web app installs

Security Fixes and How to Update

ChromeOS 156 includes the 353 security fixes from the Chrome 156 browser, six of them critical memory corruption patches, plus two high-severity Mali GPU kernel fixes specific to ChromeOS, one of which covers MediaTek MT8196 boards. The release also carries the default permission prompt before insecure HTTP connections and the Gemini-based ClickFix scam protection that Google recently added to Chrome's Enhanced Protection mode.

Chromebook owners can install the update right away:

Open Settings and select About ChromeOS.
Check for updates and let ChromeOS 156 download.
Restart the Chromebook to apply the update.
Visit chrome://settings/ai/gemini to see whether Gemini media understanding is active on the account.

For administrators, ChromeOS 156 finalizes restrictions on local network access probing, deprecates legacy autofill policies, and improves Back/Forward cache behavior for pages with active WebSockets.

Google has not posted a consumer changelog on the Chromebook Community forums yet, so model-specific changes for individual Chromebooks are not documented.

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New Mexico Judge Fines Meta $25 Billion Over Facebook Privacy Violations Tied to Cambridge Analytica (2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 02:21:52 +0000

A New Mexico state judge has ordered Meta to pay a $25 billion civil penalty over Facebook's handling of user data, following a September jury verdict in the state's lawsuit tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Santa Fe District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew imposed the fine, which New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called a "historic financial victory" for the state. Meta has said it will appeal.

The jury found last month that Facebook violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws more than 43 million times, depriving residents of their privacy and of their right to know how major technology companies use their personal data.

What the Jury Found and How the $25 Billion Penalty Was Set

New Mexico sued Meta over Cambridge Analytica, one of the most significant privacy controversies in the history of the modern internet. The British consulting firm went bankrupt long ago, yet the legal fallout for Meta continues. According to the state, Facebook gave third-party apps unlawful access to user data, mishandled hate speech, and knowingly profited from misinformation.

The final figure lands between the positions argued in court. Judge Mathew determined that Meta could have faced a fine of up to $219 billion under New Mexico law. A local attorney sought a penalty of $35 billion to $40 billion, while Meta asked the court to cap the fine at $3.45 billion.

Torrez said the penalty order shows that such violations carry serious financial consequences for businesses, and that no company is too powerful to be held accountable under the law.

The ruling "reinforces a fundamental principle: companies that do business in our state must follow our laws and respect the rights of our people," the attorney general said. His office also presented the size of the fine as proof that state consumer protection laws work as a tool for holding technology companies to account.

Meta Plans to Appeal the New Mexico Ruling

Meta has warned that the verdict could significantly affect its ability to operate in New Mexico, and the company confirmed it will appeal. The penalty is therefore not final, and no payment timeline has been made public.

Analyst Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson & Co. pointed out that the New Mexico ruling carries a hefty price tag, but Meta remains a company valued at nearly $2 trillion. Meta's business relies heavily on digital advertising.

The ruling does not require any action from Facebook users. The central finding was that third-party apps received unlawful access to user data, so users who linked apps to their Facebook account in the past may want to review which apps still have access.

The New Mexico penalty is a state court decision and applies to violations of New Mexico law only. Meta has not said when it will file its appeal or whether it will ask the court to pause the $25 billion penalty while the appeal is pending.

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Blizzard Raises Diablo 4 Prime Evil Splinter Stack Size From 1 to 99 in October 28 Patch (2026)

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 02:24:45 +0000

Blizzard will raise the stack size of Prime Evil Splinters in Diablo 4 from 1 to 99 with patch 3.2.4 (build 74043), which arrives on all platforms on October 28, 2026, according to the official Diablo IV patch notes. The change removes the one-per-type limit that has applied to the seasonal items since Season 15 launched a few weeks ago.

Prime Evil Splinters are the seasonal items players use to grant themselves Prime Evil powers. Until now, a character could carry only one of each type at any given time.

Endgame players came up with a demanding workaround that needed help from a second player to get around the limit, and stacks of up to 99 make that workaround obsolete. Patch 3.2.4 lists no other specific changes beyond stability, visual, and UI improvements.

Player Reaction to the Splinter Stack Increase

The patch notes describe the change as a stack size increase rather than a bug fix, and it follows weeks of complaints from the Diablo 4 community. Reaction on the game's subreddit has been mixed. The most upvoted comments argue that the change comes too late in Season 15 for players who have already stepped away from the game.

Players do not need to change anything to benefit. Once patch 3.2.4 is installed on October 28, collected Splinters of the same type stack automatically up to 99.

Diablo 4 PTR 3.3.0 Dates and Season 16 Changes

Blizzard is also opening the public test realm for update 3.3.0 from October 27 to November 3, giving players an early look at Season 16 systems. In its developer notes, Blizzard says some features from the Season of Hell's Legacy "will be carrying forward into Season 16," but those features will not be part of the PTR because the team wants to focus on testing new features.

The main changes on the 3.3.0 PTR:

War Plans Tactics, a new progression system for endgame War Plans in which players earn points from War Plans activities and invest up to three points per selection to raise the odds of preferred activities or rewards appearing
Marks of Wisdom, a new War Plans currency used to change nodes across the War Plans and Tactics skill trees, capped at 20
a Druid rework that removes Nature Shift and Shapeshifting tags from skill upgrades and ties them to the base abilities instead
broader Druid changes meant to make Resolve and Fortify builds stronger

Blizzard says the Tactics system "allows you to tailor your War Plans more closely with both your goals and playstyle." The Druid changes follow two stated goals: stopping Druids from stacking tags as heavily, and giving Resolve and Fortify more weight as build options.

Blizzard has not said which Season of Hell's Legacy features will carry forward into Season 16, and the PTR changes can still be adjusted before update 3.3.0 reaches live servers.

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iPhone Duo Owners Report L-Shaped Screen Cracks Within 8-Hours of Purchase (2026)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:42:40 +0000

Owners of Apple's new iPhone Duo foldable are reporting cracked inner displays within hours of purchase, with photos showing the same L-shaped break on units in the US, Australia, and China. Apple has not issued a statement on the problem, but owners say Apple Stores have been granting full replacements for the $2,000 iPhone.

The reports started circulating on social media shortly after the iPhone Duo went on sale. A dedicated iPhone Duo community already has multiple threads with pictures of damaged screens, and comparable images have appeared on X and enthusiast forums.

How the iPhone Duo Screen Damage Appears

Most of the photos show a break running along the fold, with a bright line of pixels extending from it toward the right edge of the screen. Together, the two lines form a large white L shape that stretches from one end of the internal display to the middle.

One owner in Australia says the crack appeared six hours after buying the phone, after opening it fewer than 20 times. The owner reports feeling something move along the hinge beneath the screen before hearing a crack, and says there were no marks on the display surface or the outer hinge that would suggest debris had been caught. Another owner says a similar crack appeared before the initial setup was even finished.

Some of the images from China appear to show demo units in stores, though the circumstances behind most of the photos are unclear. One owner suggests that the tension springs that hold the iPhone Duo open at different angles are responsible. Apple has not confirmed a cause, and reviewers who folded the phone thousands of times during testing reported no cracks.

The Australian owner first contacted Apple's phone support, which offered an express replacement but required a hold for the full price of the phone and could not give a delivery date. Staff at an Apple Store granted a full replacement on the spot.

Repairs outside of warranty are expensive. Without AppleCare+, Apple's listed repair and replacement prices for the iPhone Duo range from $49 to $1,499, depending on the part.

Supply is another constraint. Apple has said demand for the phone outpaces supply, and some orders are already pushed into January 2027 delivery windows, which could make replacement units harder to obtain in the coming weeks.

iPhone Duo owners who notice a crack or a bright line along the fold should take these steps:

Photograph the damage and note when it appeared and how often the phone had been opened.
Visit an Apple Store in person, where owners report receiving immediate replacements.
Expect that phone support may require a hold for the full device price on an express replacement.
Check AppleCare+ coverage before paying for any out of warranty repair.

It is not yet clear how widespread the screen failures are, and Apple has not said whether its replacement approach will change as it works through production constraints on the iPhone Duo.

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Microsoft Confirms Windows Server 2016 Reaches End of Support on January 12, (2027)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:45:27 +0000

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows Server 2016 will reach the end of extended support on January 12, 2027, according to a new message on the Windows release health message center. The January 2027 security update will be the final update for the operating system, and Microsoft recommends that organizations upgrade to Windows Server 2025 before that date.

The end of updates covers every edition of Windows Server 2016: Datacenter, Essentials, MultiPoint Premium, and Standard. Servers that keep running the operating system after January 12 will continue to boot and work, but they will no longer receive monthly security updates with protections against new threats.

"The January 2027 Windows security update will be the last update available for this version," Microsoft states in the message center notice.

Windows Server 2016 Support Timeline and Affected Features

Windows Server 2016 was announced at Microsoft's Ignite conference in September 2016 and reached general availability on October 12, 2016. Mainstream support ended in January 2022, which means the operating system has received only security fixes for almost five years. The January 12 cutoff closes the extended support phase, roughly ten years after launch.

The retirement goes beyond security patches. On the same date, Microsoft will end support for all Windows Server 2016 Essentials features, including Remote Web Access and related Essentials functionality. Small businesses that rely on Remote Web Access for remote file or desktop access through an Essentials server need a replacement before the deadline.

Microsoft names Windows Server 2025 as the upgrade target. Windows Server 2025 is the current Long-Term Servicing Channel release and reached general availability in November 2024. The company's lifecycle documentation lists the end of mainstream support for Windows Server 2025 in November 2029, with extended support running until November 14, 2034.

The notice follows other Microsoft lifecycle deadlines this month, including the point where Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro reached end of support and users were advised to move to Windows 11 26H2.

How Administrators Should Prepare for the January Deadline

Roughly eleven weeks remain before the last update ships. Microsoft's guidance is to plan the upgrade now rather than after the final Patch Tuesday:

Inventory every physical and virtual machine still running Windows Server 2016, including Essentials and MultiPoint Premium installations.
Identify servers that use Remote Web Access or other Essentials features, since those features lose support on January 12 as well.
Test workloads on Windows Server 2025 using the free 180 day evaluation available from the Microsoft Evaluation Center.
Schedule migrations so that production servers move before the January 2027 security update becomes the last one.

Organizations can check exact servicing dates for their products with the Lifecycle Policy search tool and the Windows Lifecycle FAQ page that Microsoft maintains.

Microsoft's notice does not mention a paid Extended Security Updates program for Windows Server 2016, so the January 2027 release is currently the last security update the company has committed to for this version.

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Google Updates Privacy Policy to Let Gmail and Photos Data Shape Ads Through Personal Intelligence (2026)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:47:57 +0000

Google has updated its privacy policy so that content from Gmail, Google Photos, and Google Drive can play a role in personalized ads when users connect those apps to other Google services. The revised policy took effect on October 16, and the change mainly affects people who use Personal Intelligence in Gemini and AI Mode in Search.

Google's privacy policy has long stated: "We don't show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos." That sentence is still there, but it now ends with a qualifier: "unless you choose to make data from these services available to other Google services that support personalized ads." A separate new passage says Search may process the data people let it access to personalize content, including ads.

How Personal Intelligence Connects Gmail and Photos to Ads

Personal Intelligence is an opt-in feature that lets Gemini and AI Mode in Search pull context from apps like Gmail and Google Photos. Google launched it for paying subscribers in January and made it available to all US users in March.

A request in AI Mode for things to do on an upcoming trip, for example, can draw on a hotel confirmation in Gmail and older vacation pictures in Photos.

Google says ads will not be based directly on someone's inbox or photo library. Its support page explains that AI Mode may use summaries, excerpts, and inferences from connected apps, and that this same information may be used to show ads.

Advertisers do not get access to the connected apps, and sensitive categories such as health, religion, and sexual orientation remain excluded from ad targeting.

The company has also started testing ads in AI Mode for people who have Personal Intelligence turned on. In March, Google said that experience would stay ad-free for now, while noting that it expected ads to work in a similar way for connected users later.

The wording marks a change for Gmail. Google scanned free Gmail accounts to target ads until 2017, a practice that drew lawsuits and criticism from privacy advocates.

After it stopped scanning inboxes, Gmail kept showing ads based on other signals, such as Search and YouTube activity. The new policy text is the first time since then that Google's own rules allow inbox content to influence ads, even indirectly.

Users who want to keep Gmail and Photos content out of ad personalization have two options:

Open the Search personalization settings in the Google Account, go to Connected Content Apps, and disconnect Gmail and Google Photos.
Turn off ad personalization in My Ad Center to stop personalized ads across Google services.

The second option has a limit. Turning off ad personalization in My Ad Center does not necessarily stop connected apps from feeding data into the AI features, so disconnecting the apps is the only way to keep Gmail and Photos out of Personal Intelligence entirely. Google has not said when ads in AI Mode for connected users will move beyond testing.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Peaks at 227,434 Steam Players, 26% Below Black Ops 6 (2026)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 17:50:55 +0000

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 reached a peak of 227,434 concurrent players on Steam during its launch weekend, according to SteamDB data for the shared Call of Duty app.

Infinity Ward's new shooter, published by Activision, launched on October 23 and finished its opening weekend about 26% behind the Steam peak of Black Ops 6, but well ahead of last year's Black Ops 7.

Black Ops 6 peaked at roughly 306,460 concurrent Steam users around its October 2024 release, a gap of about 79,000 players. Black Ops 7, the 2025 entry, peaked at roughly 100,000 concurrent users during its launch weekend, so Modern Warfare 4 more than doubled the Steam peak of the 2025 release. The early numbers point to a much stronger start for the series this year, even without matching the 2024 debut.

Why the Modern Warfare 4 Steam Numbers Need Context

Steam tracks Call of Duty through a single shared application rather than separate listings for each release. The 227,434 figure can therefore include people playing Warzone and other supported Call of Duty games through the same app.

The same limitation applied to Black Ops 6 during its launch weekend, so the two peaks work for a rough comparison but do not reflect exact player counts for either game.

The figures also cover only Steam. Activision has not released total sales or player numbers for Modern Warfare 4 across consoles, Battle.net, and other PC storefronts.

Game Pass is a factor in the comparison. Black Ops 6 launched directly on Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, which gave PC players a cheaper alternative to buying it on Steam.

Modern Warfare 4 does not have that option. Activision has confirmed that the game requires a separate purchase and will not join Game Pass until Holiday 2027, which should push more PC players toward storefronts like Steam. Black Ops 6 still produced the larger Steam peak despite that difference.

Player reception on Steam is positive. Modern Warfare 4 holds a Very Positive rating, with 80% of English-language reviews recommending the game after launch. The campaign briefly reached 94% positive reviews during early access. Recent complaints focus on multiplayer balance, technical issues, and the Call of Duty launcher.

PC players deciding whether to buy now can weigh a few points from the launch data:

Modern Warfare 4 is a separate purchase and is not included in Game Pass until Holiday 2027.
Steam reviews are Very Positive, with criticism centered on multiplayer balance and the launcher.
The Steam player peak is shared with Warzone, so it overstates the number of people playing Modern Warfare 4 itself.

Infinity Ward has months of seasonal updates planned for Modern Warfare 4, and Activision has not said when it will share sales or engagement figures for the launch.

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Oklahoma sweepstakes casino ban takes effect November 1 as sites set earlier cutoffs (2026)

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 23:25:02 +0000

Oklahoma's sweepstakes casino ban takes effect November 1, 2026, but some account deadlines arrive sooner. Baba Casino's announced prize-request deadline has already passed, with account access due to close October 28. High 5 Casino has announced an October 29 access cutoff.

Senate Bill 1589 adds online casino games and an express dual-currency definition to Oklahoma's existing gambling prohibition. Its effective date does not establish a shared deadline for purchases, gameplay or prize requests across individual websites.

In the sweepstakes casino model, sites typically separate entertainment-only virtual coins from promotional currency used in games where eligible winnings can qualify for prizes. The Oklahoma notices identify which of those services are ending and when existing accounts will become inaccessible.

Which Oklahoma services are ending before November 1?

Baba and High 5 have announced different schedules for prize-related services and account access. Their notices show why a site's final access date may come after its deadline for submitting a prize request. These are Oklahoma restrictions, rather than announcements of nationwide closures.

Baba prize requests have ended, with account access closing October 28

Baba's October 21 notice applies to Oklahoma residents and users located in the state. It allowed eligible Sweeps Coin redemption requests and sweepstakes gameplay through October 20. Both became unavailable October 21, when registrations and purchases, including Gold Coins and Box Tokens, also stopped under the announced schedule.

The notice says remaining Sweeps Coins can no longer be used for sweepstakes games or redeemed. It schedules all account access and platform services to end October 28. That later date therefore gives affected users no additional window to submit new prize requests.

The announced shutdown also covers Baba's remaining platform services. It does not describe a continuing Gold Coin-only service for Oklahoma users.

High 5 sets an October 29 access cutoff

High 5's October 14 notice says new registrations and purchases for users located in Oklahoma stopped October 15. Existing customers can continue playing and redeeming Sweeps Coins until an October 29 cutoff, according to the notice.

Its wording needs care: one passage says existing accounts can play and redeem until October 29, while the next says access is unavailable on and after that date. It specifies no final hour or time zone, so customers should not assume access will remain available throughout October 29.

The access restriction applies while a person is physically in Oklahoma, including visitors who are not state residents.

What does Oklahoma's SB 1589 change?

SB 1589 amends Section 941 of Title 21 to expressly cover defined online casino games and currency used in certain dual-currency arrangements. The game definition involves risking a representative of value in internet-delivered games that simulate gambling, including slots, lottery and bingo games.

The currency definition extends to arrangements allowing exchange for a prize, award, cash, cash equivalent or a chance to win one. That chance-to-win language matters: the text reaches beyond a description limited to tokens that can be exchanged directly for cash.

The prohibition covers operating the specified games and providing support in listed roles, including geolocation providers, gaming suppliers, platform providers, promoters and media affiliates. Conviction carries a Class C2 felony classification, a $500–$2,000 fine and imprisonment under the referenced sentencing provision.

The law preserves exceptions for activity under the Oklahoma Charity Games Act and gaming otherwise authorized on Indian lands in compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Those exceptions do not create a statewide online-casino licensing system or establish that every remaining virtual-currency product is permitted.

The Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training describes the measure in its 2026 legal update as expanding and clarifying the existing commercial gambling offense. Its educational summary also says the amendment does not expand officers' arrest powers or change criminal procedure.

What happens to prize requests when account access ends?

The Oklahoma transition notices identify service cutoffs, but they do not explain the outcome of every prize request still pending when access ends. A request submitted before a deadline may still require review; submission, approval and delivery are separate stages of prize redemption.

For an affected customer, the practical question is whether their particular request was received, what its current status is and how the operator will communicate after account access closes. The notices alone do not establish that a pending request has been paid, cancelled or refused. Baba's stated treatment of remaining coins also does not resolve every possible customer dispute.

Customers with outstanding requests should retain confirmation messages, request identifiers and available transaction records, and ask the operator's official support team how pending requests will be handled. Where account access remains available, saving those records before the announced cutoff avoids depending on later access to the account history.

Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto in May

SB 1589 became law after Oklahoma lawmakers overrode Governor Kevin Stitt's May 7 veto. The official legislative history records a 34–10 Senate override and a 68–19 House override on May 14, followed by filing with the Secretary of State that day.

In his published objection, Stitt argued that the bill was too broad, extended criminal liability to service providers and could discourage investment. He said it “criminalizes everyday apps people use for fun.” That was the governor's criticism of the measure; lawmakers subsequently enacted it over his veto.

The next announced account-access cutoffs are Baba's October 28 closure and High 5's October 29 restriction. The statutory effective date follows November 1. Customers awaiting a prize still need confirmation about their individual request from the operator handling it.

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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Premium Join T-Mobile T-Mix Plans in the US Starting in November (2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 03:17:41 +0000

Microsoft has announced that Xbox Game Pass is coming to eligible T-Mobile customers in the US starting in November, as part of T-Mobile's new T-Mix plan perks, according to an official Xbox Wire post.

Subscribers will be able to pick Game Pass Ultimate or Game Pass Premium as an included benefit, with access across Xbox consoles, PC, smart TVs, and cloud devices.

It is the first time a major US wireless carrier has built Xbox gaming subscriptions directly into its mobile plans. EE in the UK has offered Game Pass Ultimate as a plan extra for years.

How T-Mix Picks Unlock Game Pass Ultimate and Premium

T-Mix replaces fixed bundles with a modular system of monthly Picks across three plan tiers: Standard, More, and Loaded. The number of Picks depends on the tier and on the number of lines on an account, and subscribers spend them on partner streaming, tech, and gaming perks.

Game Pass costs Picks at two levels:

Xbox Game Pass Premium requires 2 Picks.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate requires 3 Picks.

For single-line accounts, T-Mix More starts at $75 per month and includes 2 Picks, enough for Game Pass Premium. Game Pass Ultimate needs 3 Picks, which a single line receives on T-Mix Loaded, starting at $95 per month. Multi-line accounts can also reach the 3 Picks needed for Ultimate through their allotments.

T-Mobile lets subscribers swap their chosen perks four times a year. That means Game Pass can be dropped for a streaming service later without changing the underlying plan.

What Game Pass Subscribers Should Consider

Existing T-Mobile customers who already pay for Game Pass separately should compare their current bill with the T-Mix tier that covers the version they use. Steps to check:

Confirm which Game Pass tier is active on the Xbox account, Premium or Ultimate.
Match that tier to the Picks it requires: 2 for Premium, 3 for Ultimate.
Check whether the current T-Mobile line count and plan tier provide the required Picks, or whether a move to T-Mix More or Loaded is needed.
Factor in that perks can be changed only four times a year.

The deal adds another route to Game Pass after Microsoft introduced Xbox Cloud Gaming Playtime Passes from $3.99 earlier this month.

Neither Microsoft nor T-Mobile has given an exact November start date, and the offer is limited to eligible T-Mobile customers in the US.

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Microsoft Offers Voluntary Exit Deal to 60,000 Employees in Four Countries Until December 31 (2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 03:24:01 +0000

Microsoft has announced a Voluntary Exit Offer open to about 60,000 employees in the US, UK, Canada, and India, according to a letter from HR chief Amy Coleman published on the company's corporate blog on October 26. Eligible staff have until December 31 to accept the offer, which Microsoft says includes financial support and career-planning resources.

The figure represents roughly one quarter of the workforce. Microsoft reported about 223,000 full-time employees in its annual report as of June 2026, and has cut around 4,800 roles since then.

Who Is Eligible for Microsoft's Voluntary Exit Offer

Coleman's letter says employees up to level 70 in the four participating countries can qualify, which covers everyone at or below vice president level. Participation depends on the business group.

"Some organizations are providing the Voluntary Exit Offer, and some are not," Coleman wrote, adding that it "varies based on each business's priorities, customer commitments and workforce needs."

Microsoft declined to name the specific teams or roles included. The company says it does not classify the program as a buyout, since no employee is being pushed to leave, and describes the package as similar to a standard severance deal in terms of money and career assistance. Some employees will also be offered extended healthcare and stock.

Microsoft says it has no target number for departures and does not expect every eligible employee to accept. Google ran a similar program in 2025, and between 3% and 5% of eligible staff took it. If Microsoft sees the same rate, between 1,800 and 3,000 employees would leave before the window closes.

Why Microsoft Is Offering Exits Now

According to Microsoft, the offer is not a response to AI automation. The company ties it to an early retirement program launched in April, which was open to US employees whose age plus years at Microsoft exceeded 70. That earlier offer reached about 9,000 people, and Microsoft says staff who did not qualify asked for a similar option.

The program follows strong recent earnings across Microsoft's cloud and software portfolio, and it comes after the company cut commercial Xbox teams earlier this year.

For Microsoft customers, the offer does not change any product, service, or support commitment on its own. Organizations that depend on specific Microsoft teams, such as account managers or partner contacts, may want to confirm their points of contact once the December 31 window closes, since Microsoft has not said which groups are participating.

Microsoft has not published the number of applications received so far or whether it plans involuntary layoffs if take-up stays low.

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Apple Launches iPad mini With 8.5-Inch OLED Display, A20 Pro Chip, and IP67 Rating From $699 (2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 03:31:55 +0000

Apple has announced a refreshed iPad mini with an 8.5-inch OLED display, the A20 Pro chip, and an IP67 rating for water and dust resistance, according to the company's newsroom announcement. Pre-orders open October 28, and the tablet goes on sale November 6, starting at $699 for the Wi-Fi model and $849 for the cellular model.

The display is slightly larger than before and uses bezels that are 24% thinner. Apple says the OLED panel delivers higher contrast and peak brightness, and buyers can choose an optional nano-texture finish.

iPad mini Hardware Changes and Performance Claims

Apple says the A20 Pro offers up to 60% faster multi-threaded performance, up to 4.5x faster AI performance, and up to 2.7x faster graphics compared with the chip in the previous iPad mini. The company did not publish independent benchmark data alongside those figures.

At 5.4mm, the new model is 14% thinner and 13% lighter than its predecessor. The IP67 rating is partly made possible by what Apple calls its Acoustic Display system: woofers work through the display, while custom tweeters sit between the glass and the aluminum body, so the tablet has no speaker cutouts.

Connectivity moves to Apple's own silicon. Every model uses the N1 wireless networking chip, and cellular versions use the C2 modem. The tablet ships with iPadOS 27, which includes Siri AI, and supports both the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (USB-C).

The front 12-megapixel Center Stage camera is placed along the landscape edge, which Apple describes as better suited to FaceTime calls. On the back, a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera records 4K video at up to 60 frames per second.

iPad mini Pricing, Storage, and Release Date

Storage ranges from 128GB to 512GB, and the iPad mini comes in black or silver. Buyers who want the nano-texture glass need to keep two limits in mind:

The nano-texture option is only offered on the 256GB and 512GB configurations.
It adds $100 to the price of the chosen model.
Pre-orders open on October 28, with retail availability on November 6.

Owners of older Apple Pencil models should check compatibility before ordering, since Apple lists only the Apple Pencil Pro and the Apple Pencil (USB-C) as supported. Cellular buyers pay a $150 premium over the Wi-Fi model at the base storage tier.

The launch arrives while Apple deals with reports of iPhone Duo screens cracking within hours of purchase, a separate issue that does not involve the iPad line.

Apple has not detailed regional pricing outside the US or confirmed launch markets for the cellular model with the C2 modem.

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OpenAI Launches GPT-6.1 Terra With API Pricing 50% Lower Than GPT-5.6 Terra (2026)

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 03:37:49 +0000

OpenAI has released GPT-6.1 Terra, a faster and cheaper model built for computer use, visual reasoning, coding, and everyday office work, the company announced in a blog post on October 26.

The model is available now to Plus, Pro, Enterprise, and Edu subscribers in ChatGPT Work and Codex, and developers can call it through the API as gpt-6.1-terra.

OpenAI positions Terra as the replacement for GPT-5.6 Terra and says standard API prices are 50% lower than both GPT-5.6 Terra and GPT-6.1 Sol. Pricing is $1 per million input tokens, $0.05 per million cached input tokens, and $5 per million output tokens.

The company lists drafting proposals, interpreting technical drawings, filling out forms, and editing videos as the kind of workday tasks the model targets. One example it gives is reading incoming invoices and entering their details into accounting software.

GPT-6.1 Terra Benchmark Results and Error Rates

On Agents' Last Exam, a benchmark of professional computer-use tasks such as turning architectural drawings into a 3D model, GPT-6.1 Terra scores 15 percentage points higher than GPT-5.6 Terra at medium reasoning effort while costing about one-third as much, according to OpenAI. The company claims Terra performs on par with GPT-6 Astra at one-tenth of its price per token, and that it completes tasks more than three times faster than GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol.

OpenAI also compares Terra directly with Anthropic's Claude Opus 5.5. At maximum effort, the company says Terra is over three times as token efficient and costs one-fourth as much per token, which works out to roughly 9x lower cost per task.

Factual errors dropped sharply on OpenAI's internal benchmark of error-inducing prompts. At low reasoning effort, the error rate fell from 53.6% with GPT-5.6 Terra to 16.7% with GPT-6.1 Terra. At maximum effort it fell by 18 percentage points to 4.3%, close to the rates for GPT-6 Astra and GPT-6.1 Sol.

Coding results improved too. On Terminal-Bench 4.0, a test of command-line coding agents, Terra solves 50.3% of tasks at maximum reasoning effort, compared with 21.5% for GPT-5.6 Terra. OpenAI still recommends GPT-6.1 Sol or GPT-6 Astra for the most complex coding work.

What ChatGPT and API Users Should Check

For ChatGPT Work and Codex subscribers, the practical change is usage. OpenAI says the same plan allowance covers more tasks with GPT-6.1 Terra than with GPT-5.6 Terra, and substantially more than with GPT-6.1 Sol or GPT-6 Astra.

Developers running high-volume automation can switch the model identifier to gpt-6.1-terra and compare cost per task against their current model before moving production workloads.

On safety, OpenAI says GPT-6.1 Terra meets the Critical threshold in cybersecurity under its Preparedness Framework and keeps the protections developed for GPT-6 Astra.

The company also reports stronger resistance to prompt-injection attempts than GPT-5.6 Terra, with details published in the system card. The launch follows OpenAI's recent move to expand ChatGPT ads to 89 markets.

All benchmark figures come from OpenAI's own testing. OpenAI has not said whether GPT-6.1 Terra will reach the free ChatGPT tier.

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Microsoft Releases Out-of-Band Windows Updates That Remove Trust in Compromised eMudhra Certificates (2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:39 +0000

Microsoft has released out-of-band Windows updates that remove trust in seven certificates tied to the compromised eMudhra certificate authority, according to a Microsoft Security Response Center blog post. KB5134133 covers Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2, and 26H2, while KB5134125 covers Windows 10 versions 21H2 and 22H2. Both updates were released on October 26.

The updates target a specific group of devices: systems without Internet access, devices that cannot reach Microsoft's certificate update service, and machines where automatic Certificate Trust List (CTL) updates are turned off. Windows devices that receive CTL updates normally already get trust changes through that channel.

Why Microsoft Is Removing the eMudhra Roots

The release follows the discovery of eight eMudhra intermediate certificate authority private keys that were weak enough to be recovered almost instantly. All eight keys were generated in April 2025 and had values smaller than 256, which meant anyone could recover them by testing just 256 possible numbers. With those keys, attackers could have forged certificates for legitimate websites and intercepted encrypted traffic.

eMudhra revoked the eight intermediate certificates after the disclosure. Mozilla, Google, and Apple also started revoking them in their products.

Microsoft's first response was an update to the Windows Disallowed Certificate Trust List that blocked the eight intermediate authorities, six of them used for TLS and two for code signing. A CRLSet update for Microsoft Edge and WebView2 blocked the affected TLS certificates without a browser update.

The new out-of-band release goes a step further. Microsoft says it "removes seven certificates associated with the affected hierarchies: six eMudhra G3 roots and an AAA Certificate Services cross-sign, from the Windows trust list." Microsoft also says the same seven certificates are being removed from the Edge trust list on October 27.

The company stresses that removing a root is a broader trust decision than revoking the known compromised intermediates. Organizations with a specific compatibility requirement can choose to trust a certificate locally, subject to their own security assessment and policies.

What Administrators Should Do Now

Microsoft advises administrators to install the update on disconnected Windows systems and to check for certificates that chain to the removed roots, since those certificates may need replacement.

Identify Windows 11 24H2, 25H2, or 26H2 devices and Windows 10 21H2 or 22H2 devices that are offline, cannot reach Microsoft's certificate update service, or have automatic CTL updates disabled.
Install KB5134133 on the Windows 11 systems and KB5134125 on the Windows 10 systems.
Audit internal services, applications, and signed code for certificates issued under the six eMudhra G3 roots or the AAA Certificate Services cross-sign.
Replace affected certificates, or document a local trust exception only where a compatibility need has passed an internal security review.

Devices that already receive automatic CTL updates do not need the out-of-band package for this change. Microsoft is still investigating the remaining eMudhra roots and says it may make additional trust changes as needed.

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Apple Backports CoreGraphics Zero-Day Fix to iPhone XS and XR With iOS 18.7.11 (2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:02:13 +0000

Apple has released iOS 18.7.11 and iPadOS 18.7.11, bringing a fix for an actively exploited CoreGraphics vulnerability to older iPhone and iPad models that cannot run current software, according to Apple's security release notes. The update is available now for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, plus a range of older iPads.

Apple patched the same flaw in September for devices on iOS 26.7.1, iPadOS 26.7.1, macOS Tahoe 26.7.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.8.1. Backporting a fix to the previous major iOS branch is not something Apple does for every security issue.

CoreGraphics Flaw Used in Targeted Attacks

The vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2026-86950 and carries a severity score of 8.8. Meta Product Security reported the issue, which is an out-of-bounds write in CoreGraphics. Apple uses the framework for two-dimensional vector graphics, text drawing, and image rendering across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

Apple describes the impact plainly: "Processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to arbitrary code execution." The company says the bug was addressed with improved bounds checking.

Apple also states that it "is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 27." Out-of-bounds write bugs of this type can let an attacker crash an app, corrupt data, or run code by writing outside an allocated memory buffer.

CVE-2026-86950 is the second exploited zero-day Apple has fixed in 2026. The first, CVE-2026-20700, was an arbitrary code execution flaw in dyld, the dynamic link editor in Apple's operating systems, and was patched in February after use in similar targeted attacks.

The iOS 18.7.11 and iPadOS 18.7.11 updates cover these devices:

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
iPad 7th generation
iPad Air 4th generation and later
iPad 9th generation and later
iPad mini 6th generation and later

Owners of these devices should install the update even though Apple says the attacks were highly targeted. A crafted file is enough to trigger the bug, so an unpatched device stays exposed to anyone who obtains a working exploit. The update is delivered through the usual path:

Open Settings and tap General.
Tap Software Update and wait for iOS 18.7.11 or iPadOS 18.7.11 to appear.
Install the update and restart the device when prompted.

Users on supported iPhones and iPads that already run iOS 26.7.1 or iPadOS 26.7.1 received the fix in September and do not need this release. Apple has not shared details about who was targeted or how the malicious files were delivered.

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Discord Will Make Messages in Discoverable Servers Searchable on Google Starting in December (2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:06:04 +0000

Discord will make messages from its largest public servers searchable on Google and other search engines, with answers posted in eligible channels appearing in web results from mid-December, according to a Discord blog post.

The change applies only to Discoverable Servers, the public servers with 1,000 or more members, and the privacy settings to opt out are already live. Invite-only servers and direct messages are not affected.

Discord is rolling out the change in two stages. From November 16, every Discoverable Server gets a Server Web Page by default. These pages preview what a server contains before a visitor joins, show a summary of the conversations taking place, and can be indexed by Google. A second update in December allows answers to questions in public channels to show up in web search.

Discord says the goal is to recover information that used to sit on public message boards. "This has led to valuable information being locked in Discord conversations, inaccessible to the wider internet. We want to fix this," the company writes.

How Discord Handles Usernames and Opt-Outs

Messages that appear in search results will not show the author's username or avatar, according to Discord group product manager Kelsey Duncombe-Smith. The message text itself is shown in the member's own words.

Public channels in Discoverable Servers have the setting enabled by default. Server admins can opt the whole server out or restrict web visibility to selected channels. Individual members can also block their own messages from appearing, even if the server stays opted in.

Members who do not want their posts in Discoverable Servers to show up on the web can turn the option off now:

Open Discord and go to User Settings.
Select Data and Privacy.
Turn off "Show my message content from Discoverable channels on web pages."

Admins of Discoverable Servers can review the server-level control:

Open Server Settings for the Discoverable Server.
Select Web Presence.
Choose which channels, if any, should be visible on the web, or opt the server out entirely.

Discord frames the change as opt-out rather than opt-in, so a member who never opens the privacy settings will have eligible messages indexed once the December update arrives.

The opt-out is the only control available to members, so anyone who posts in large public servers should check the setting before the December update goes live. Smaller servers, private groups, and friend servers below the Discoverable threshold are outside the scope of the change.

Discord has not given an exact date for the December rollout of searchable answers, and the company has not said whether the feature will expand to servers with fewer than 1,000 members.

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Pokémon Unite Will Shut Down on March 23, 2027, as Aeos Gem Sales End (2027)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:07:31 +0000

Pokémon Unite, the free-to-play Pokémon MOBA on Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, will shut down permanently on March 23, 2027, according to an official announcement. A gradual suspension of services started on October 27, 2026, and in-game purchases are the first thing to go. The gaming service will have run for more than five years by the time the servers close.

Pokémon Unite launched on Switch on July 21, 2021, and arrived on iOS and Android in September 2021. The game was positioned as a more approachable MOBA, with short 10-minute matches and simplified mechanics compared with other games in the genre. Purchases of the in-game currency ended on the same day the shutdown was announced, so players only have their existing balances to work with for the remaining months.

Pokémon Unite Shutdown Timeline

The wind-down runs in stages between now and March:

October 27, 2026: sales of Aeos gems stop, along with new Unite Club memberships and renewals.
November 12, 2026: an update starts a final special event that hands out items such as all Unite licenses and Holoware that have appeared in the game.
December 5, 2026: qualifiers for the Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo competitive tournament run as planned.
March 23, 2027: the game goes offline, and players can no longer log in or play battles.

Existing Unite Club members keep their benefits until their current membership period ends. The announcement does not mention refunds for unused Aeos gems or for previous purchases.

Library Feature Must Be Downloaded Before March 23

The only part of Pokémon Unite that remains usable after the shutdown is a library feature. It lets players view certain records and in-game content they collected. Battles, matchmaking, and log-ins all end on March 23, so the library is the only way to look back at an account once the servers are gone. The library has to be downloaded before March 23, 2027, and it cannot be obtained after that date.

Players who want to keep access to their records should take these steps before the deadline:

Use any remaining Aeos gems before the shutdown, since no new gems can be bought and the announcement does not mention refunds.
Log in after the November 12 update to collect the event rewards, including the Unite licenses and Holoware.
Download the library feature on each device where the records should stay viewable.

Unite Club renewals are already suspended, so existing memberships simply run until the end of their current period. Competitive players can still enter the Aeos Crown 2027 Tokyo qualifiers on December 5. The announcement does not say whether the library feature will receive updates after the servers shut down.

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Zula, Sportzino and Fortune Wins exclude Oklahoma from prize redemptions ahead of November 1 (2026)

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 16:38:10 +0000

Zula Casino, Sportzino and Fortune Wins exclude Oklahoma from prize-redemption eligibility in rules dated October 27, 2026. The rulebooks exclude the state from promotional play and redemption, but do not explain how the operators will treat previously accumulated balances or requests already submitted. For affected account holders, the written eligibility restriction and the outcome of an individual payment remain separate questions.

Existing balances and pending requests remain unresolved

Zula's Sweepstakes Rules, version 2.7, and Sportzino's version 2.5 list Oklahoma outside their permitted territory for games using Sweeps Coins and for redeeming those coins. Both documents also state that participants from outside that territory are ineligible to redeem Sweeps Coins they have won or accumulated.

Fortune Wins' Sweeps Rules, version 4.8, apply the same territorial restriction to FC, its promotional prize currency. Its redemption clause likewise covers FC that participants have won or accumulated. All three versions carry the October 27 date; that date alone does not establish the precise time any account function changed.

None of these rulebooks sets out an Oklahoma-specific redemption grace period. They do not explain whether a balance earned before October 27 receives different treatment, or whether a request submitted before that date remains eligible for approval.

A request awaiting review also differs from a payment already approved but not delivered. The documents provide no Oklahoma-specific instructions resolving those cases. Their wording establishes a contractual eligibility condition; it does not demonstrate that a particular payment has been refused or that an account balance has been removed.

The three documents contain general provisions requiring remaining balances to be withdrawn within seven days of requesting account closure. Those provisions concern customer-requested closure and do not expressly create an exception to the Oklahoma exclusion. They should not be read as a guaranteed seven-day redemption window for affected players.

Account holders should retain balance records, redemption confirmations and correspondence, then request a written answer from support identifying how the restriction applies to their balance and request date. A visible coin balance or continued account access does not, by itself, confirm prize-redemption eligibility.

Oklahoma's law sets a separate November 1 milestone

Section 2 of Oklahoma's enrolled Senate Bill 1589 sets November 1, 2026 as the act's effective date. The official legislative history records both chambers overriding the governor's veto on May 14, followed by filing with the secretary of state that day.

The act amends the state's gambling statute to expressly cover defined online casino games and currency used in qualifying dual-currency prize systems. Its prohibition also names supporting roles, including gaming suppliers, geolocation providers, promoters and media affiliates. It retains exceptions for gambling permitted under the Oklahoma Charity Games Act and gaming otherwise authorized on Indian lands in compliance with federal Indian gaming law.

The statutory effective date does not establish an October 27 cutoff for these brands or create a customer redemption window lasting until November 1. Nor do the operators' rulebooks constitute a state enforcement order against the three sites. The immediate account question remains whether each operator will provide written transition instructions for pre-existing balances, submitted requests and payments awaiting delivery.

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Microsoft Releases KB5127936 for Windows 11 With a Faster, Customizable Context Menu (2026)

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:38:40 +0000

Microsoft has released KB5127936, an optional preview update for Windows 11 versions 25H2 and 26H2 that introduces a redesigned File Explorer context menu, according to the official release notes published on October 28, 2026.

The update raises the OS builds to 26200.9818 and 26300.9818, and the new context menu is rolling out gradually, so it will not appear on every device right away.

Microsoft says the updated menu "opens more quickly, reduces clutter, and gives you more control over the commands and app extensions that appear when you right-click." The change is part of the company's Windows K2 effort, which targets long-standing complaints about core parts of the operating system.

Windows 11 Context Menu Customization Options in KB5127936

The redesigned menu adds a Customize menu entry at the bottom of the right-click menu. From there, users can control which commands are shown and where they sit. According to Microsoft, the available options are:

turning built-in commands such as Send to and Create shortcut on or off
adding commands such as Print to the menu
placing app extensions in the main menu or in a submenu, or hiding the app extensions submenu entirely
showing Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Delete, and Share as text entries in the list instead of a row of icons along the top
moving Properties to the bottom of the menu

Users moving from Windows 10 can use the text entry option to bring Cut, Copy, and Paste back into the vertical list, and app entries that clutter the menu can be switched off.

KB5127936 is not limited to the menu. File Explorer gets a consistent layout for search results, support for the ~ character in the address bar, and dark mode in the Folder Options dialog.

Xbox mode receives a refreshed Gaming Task View with a navigation bar for Exit to Desktop and Power Options. In Settings, the Privacy and security page now groups Camera, Microphone, and Location controls together.

Fixes that ship to all eligible devices at once cover Remote Desktop with Administrator protection, the Smart App Control toggle, AMD HDMI and DisplayPort audio, BitLocker PIN retries, Windows Sandbox crashes, and Always On VPN. Microsoft Edge 150 or later also launches faster through a change in the update.

How to Install KB5127936 on Windows 11

The release is optional and is not offered automatically through the Windows Update for Business channel or WSUS. Home users can install it manually:

Open Settings and select Windows Update.
Turn on "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" to receive gradually rolled out features sooner.
Go to Advanced options, then Optional updates, and install KB5127936.

Administrators can download the x64 or Arm64 packages from the Microsoft Update Catalog, installing the checkpoint update KB5043080 first.

Microsoft lists one known issue: USB Audio Class 1.0 devices may show error Code 10, play no audio, or have unresponsive volume controls after the September 8, 2026 security update, and no fix has been published yet. Even with the toggle enabled, the new context menu reaches devices in phases, and Microsoft has not given a date for full availability.

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Samsung Brings AI Sleep Apnea Severity Detection to Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring Starting in November (2026)

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:50:11 +0000

Samsung is rolling out an AI-powered sleep apnea detection feature that classifies the severity of breathing disruptions, starting in November 2026 on the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9, and Galaxy Ring in South Korea, according to a company press release.

The announcement follows approval from South Korea's Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the same feature in July 2026.

Galaxy Watch models have offered sleep apnea detection since the Galaxy Watch 4, but the existing tool only alerts users to general signs of the condition.

The new version adds an AI algorithm that analyzes respiratory disruptions overnight and sorts the results into three levels, which Samsung's Korean materials translate as mild, occasional, and frequent.

Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring Devices That Get the New Sleep Apnea Feature

Samsung confirms a two-stage rollout. The first wave covers the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, Galaxy Watch 9, and Galaxy Ring in November. Older wearables follow later:

the original Galaxy Watch Ultra
Galaxy Watch 8 and Galaxy Watch 8 Classic
Galaxy Watch 7 running Wear OS 7 or later

The Galaxy Watch 4, Galaxy Watch 5, and Galaxy Watch 6 are excluded, even though the Galaxy Watch 4 introduced the original sleep apnea tool. Samsung ties the limit to the AI processing the feature requires.

The company has not said whether the Galaxy Watch FE, which uses the older Exynos W920 chipset instead of the Exynos W1000 or Snapdragon SW6100 Wear Elite, will receive it.

Severity tiers give wearers more context than a yes or no alert. Apple Watch also categorizes sleep apnea readings, using elevated and non-elevated labels, but it needs 30 days of nighttime data before producing a result.

Samsung's requirement is shorter. Like the current tool, the AI version needs two sleep sessions of at least five hours each within a 10-day period. Results appear on the watch and in the Samsung Health app.

Owners of a supported watch or ring who want to use the feature once it arrives should prepare as follows:

Confirm the device is on the supported list, and for a Galaxy Watch 7, that it runs Wear OS 7 or later.
Wear the device to bed on at least two nights within 10 days, with each session lasting five hours or more.
Open the reading on the watch or in the Samsung Health app once both sessions are recorded.x

Samsung has confirmed the November launch only for South Korea and has not announced dates for the United States, Europe, or other markets, or a release window for the older Galaxy Watch models.

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Google Chrome Rolls Out Gemini Autofill That Pulls Order Numbers and Flight Bookings From Gmail (2026)

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 08:56:32 +0000

Google is rolling out enhanced autofill in Chrome that suggests order numbers, tracking details, and flight bookings pulled from a user's Gmail inbox, the company said in an announcement.

The feature is powered by Gemini with Personal Intelligence and is available in the United States on desktop, Android, and iPhone for Gemini in Chrome users aged 18 or older who have turned on Personal Intelligence.

Standard Chrome autofill covers addresses, passwords, and payment cards. The new layer reaches into email. When a user checks in for a flight, for example, Chrome can fill in the booking code from the confirmation email instead of requiring a manual search through the inbox.

Google first tested the capability in July under the name "Find and Fill with Gemini." The test version could also draw on Google Photos and other connected apps. The public release is narrower and uses Gmail as its only source.

How Chrome Labels and Controls Gmail Autofill Suggestions

Google says sensitive data is encrypted and that users keep control over what is shared. On Android, suggestions sourced from Gmail carry a Gemini icon above the keyboard. A long press on a suggestion opens a menu with two options:

View sources, which opens the original email in a new tab to confirm the details are correct
Remove suggestion, which dismisses an outdated or unwanted entry without deleting the email

A suggestion disappears permanently only when the underlying email is deleted from Gmail. The feature builds on the Google Wallet integration that Chrome received in July.

The rollout extends Personal Intelligence, which Google recently tied to its updated privacy policy for Gmail data, into everyday form filling. Users who do not want Chrome reading email content for suggestions can switch it off.

Google says the enhanced autofill experience can be turned off in Chrome's settings. Users who only want to clear specific entries have a lighter option:

Start filling a form on Android and wait for a suggestion marked with the Gemini icon.
Long press the suggestion above the keyboard.
Tap View sources to check the email, or Remove suggestion to dismiss the entry.

Removing a suggestion keeps the feature active for other forms, and the original email stays in the inbox. Gmail remains the only data source in this release, which limits suggestions to information that arrived by email, such as shipping confirmations or airline booking messages.

Enhanced autofill is limited to adult users in the United States who have enabled Personal Intelligence, and Google has not announced when it will reach additional countries, languages, or account types, or whether Google Photos support from the test build will return.

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PlayStation Plus Adds Dead Island 2, Tomb Raider IV to VI Remastered, and Monster Train 2 in November (2026)

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 09:07:03 +0000

Sony has announced the November 2026 monthly games for PlayStation Plus, with Dead Island 2, Tomb Raider IV, V, and VI Remastered, and Monster Train 2 joining the service on November 3. Subscribers can redeem all three titles from Tuesday, November 3 until Monday, November 30, according to the PlayStation announcement.

The October lineup stays available until November 2. Those games are F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2, so subscribers who have not added them to their library yet have a few days left.

PlayStation Plus November 2026 Games Lineup

Dead Island 2 is a first-person zombie game set in a Los Angeles overrun by the undead. Players build modded weapons and fight through hordes, and the game is known for a detailed, layered gore system that shows damage on enemies as they are hit.

Tomb Raider IV, V, and VI Remastered bundles the so-called Darkness trilogy:

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Tomb Raider: Chronicles
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

The remastered collection lets players switch between the original polygonal graphics and the updated visuals at any time, which makes it possible to compare both versions during play.

Monster Train 2 is a roguelite deckbuilder. Instead of pairing cards with RPG-style combat, the game has players use cards to hold off enemies on a moving train, adding tower defense elements to the formula.

The November selection covers three different genres: a zombie action game, a classic adventure trilogy, and a card-based strategy game. The Tomb Raider collection alone counts as three games in one package.

How to Claim the November PlayStation Plus Games

Monthly games have to be added to a library during the redemption window. Subscribers should follow this order to avoid missing titles:

Claim F1 25, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2 before the October window closes on November 2.
From November 3, open the PlayStation Plus section on the console or the PlayStation Store and add Dead Island 2, Tomb Raider IV, V, and VI Remastered, and Monster Train 2 to the library.
Complete the redemption before November 30, when the November games rotate out.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 from the October lineup is an extraction shooter built around stealth, noise, and slow-reloading Western weapons, and it leaves the monthly selection on November 2 together with F1 25 and Earth Defense Force: World Brothers 2. The November titles stay claimable only until November 30, and Sony has not yet announced the December lineup.

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Microsoft Confirms Edge 156 Update Broke Attachment Opening in New Outlook and Rolls Out a Fix (2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:45:37 +0000

Microsoft has confirmed that an update to Microsoft Edge 156 stopped some users of New Outlook from opening email attachments. According to Microsoft's service health advisory EX1528992 for Exchange Online, the Edge update "unintentionally enabled an unnecessary configuration," and the company has started rolling out a fix that disables it again.

The fix does not arrive instantly. Microsoft expects the rollout to take around 12 hours, and affected users have to close and reopen New Outlook before the change takes effect.

How the Edge 156 Bug Breaks Attachments in New Outlook

Users hit by the bug lose the "Open" option for file attachments in New Outlook. Some also see an error message stating that the file cannot be opened, together with an instruction to restart Outlook. After that error appears, the "Open" option disappears from the attachment menu entirely.

Microsoft confirmed the problem on the afternoon of October 28 and began deploying the fix early on October 29. The company has not explained what the "unnecessary configuration" is, or why a change in a browser update was able to affect how a separate mail client handles attachments.

The dependency is the notable part. New Outlook relies on components that ship with Edge, so a configuration change in the browser was enough to break a core email function.

The incident arrives as Edge gains ground on the desktop. Statcounter data puts the browser at almost 15 percent of the desktop market last month, up from around 10 percent for much of the year.

Microsoft's Fix Rollout and the Save As Workaround

Outlook Classic does not appear to be affected, according to the EX1528992 advisory. For New Outlook users who cannot wait for the fix, the workaround is to save the attachment first and open it outside the mail client:

Select the attachment in the affected email in New Outlook.
Choose "Save As" instead of "Open" and save the file to a local folder.
Open the saved file manually from that folder.
Once the fix has reached the account, close New Outlook completely and start it again to restore the "Open" option.

The workaround adds a step for every attachment, and saved copies stay on the device until they are deleted manually. Administrators can follow the status of the fix under EX1528992 in the service health section of the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Microsoft has not said whether every affected tenant will have the fix within the 12-hour window, and it has not shared details about the Edge configuration that caused the problem.

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Reddit Moves to a Logged-In Only Experience, With Tests in Select Markets Outside the US (2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:49:28 +0000

Reddit will become a "logged-in only experience," CEO Steve Huffman announced on the platform and during the company's third-quarter 2026 investor call.

Testing starts in select markets outside the US in the coming months, and Reddit plans to roll the change out globally afterward. Huffman says the move is meant to protect Reddit's data from unauthorized scraping, which mostly happens through logged-out access, and to personalize the site for people who sign in.

The announcement follows a sharp drop in search traffic. Reddit lost an average of one million search engine referrals per week in October, according to Huffman, who said that "Google has really shifted in their relationship with the rest of the internet."

What Changes for Logged-Out Reddit Visitors

Reddit has not published a full list of what logged-out users will still be able to see. Huffman did name exceptions. He said "the front page being available logged-out is useful and important," and that Reddit wants people to be able to share posts, with visitors arriving from search or other external sources still seeing the content they were linked to.

Everything else points toward accounts. Huffman described joining communities, voting, commenting, and participating as "fundamental to the Reddit experience," and said logged-in users let Reddit personalize feeds and "surface what's most relevant." The company states that more than 80% of its revenue already comes from logged-in and app users.

Data access is the other driver. "Access to Reddit's data corpus has to be intentional," Huffman said, adding that "the vast majority of unauthorized access to Reddit" happens through logged-out experiences.

Reddit currently has AI training arrangements with OpenAI and Google, and Huffman said the company is in "active discussions" about those deals without announcing changes. Discord recently took the opposite direction when it decided to make discoverable server messages searchable on Google.

Options for Users Who Browse Reddit Without an Account

Creating a Reddit account requires an email address, a username, and a password. No phone number is needed. For users who want to browse without tying activity to their account, Reddit says it has rebuilt its privacy-focused incognito mode in the app and is releasing it again. Huffman describes the mode as read-only and "truly private," meaning browsing and searches do not affect the logged-in account.

Check whether the logged-out front page and shared links still load in the region once testing begins.
Create an account with an email address if regular access to subreddits is needed.
Switch on incognito mode in the Reddit app for read-only browsing that stays separate from the main account.

Reddit reported 53% year-over-year revenue growth and 16% growth in weekly active users for the third quarter, but its share price dropped after the company issued a lower-than-expected forecast. Reddit has not named the markets where testing will begin or given a date for the global switch.

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OpenAI Doubles ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium Usage Limits After Dropping a Planned Pro 200 Cut (2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:51:19 +0000

OpenAI has doubled usage limits for its $100, $200, and $500 ChatGPT Pro plans and for Business Premium, effective October 29. The announcement came from Tibo, who represents ChatGPT and Codex on X, and it replaces an earlier plan to reduce the usage allowance for existing Pro 200 subscribers after October 29.

"We are doubling all usage limits for all Pro 100/200/500 tiers and Business Premium, effective today," Tibo wrote. The company says it reversed course following customer feedback.

OpenAI Reverses the Planned ChatGPT Pro 200 Usage Cut

OpenAI had planned to lower the included usage allowance for Pro 200 subscribers while keeping the subscription price at $200 per month. That cut is now off the table. "We heard your kind feedback and won't be reducing usage limits for Pro 200, so your Work and Codex usage will stay the same," Tibo said in the same post.

The higher limits mainly affect ChatGPT Work and Codex, which share usage allowances under eligible subscriptions. Pro subscribers who rely on Codex for coding tasks or on Work for longer jobs get more room before they hit the cap, without moving to a more expensive tier.

OpenAI is also keeping extended limits for Dots, its always-on AI assistants. "We're also going to continue offering extended limits for Dots for now, and usage of your dot will still continue to be separate from your default usage," the company said. Dots usage therefore does not draw from the doubled Work and Codex allowance.

The change follows a busy month for OpenAI pricing, including the launch of GPT-6.1 Terra with lower API pricing earlier this week.

What ChatGPT Pro and Business Premium Subscribers Should Check

No action is required to receive the higher limits, since OpenAI applied them to eligible accounts immediately. Subscribers can still use the change to review their plans:

Pro 200 subscribers who were preparing to switch plans because of the announced cut keep their previous Work and Codex usage, now doubled.
Pro 100 subscribers who regularly reach their cap get twice the allowance at the same $100 price.
Pro 500 and Business Premium customers receive the same doubling on their existing allowance.
Dots users keep a separate allowance that does not count against default usage.

OpenAI does not publish exact numerical usage limits for each tier, so subscribers cannot verify the doubling against a published figure. The company also describes the extended Dots limits as available "for now" and has not said how long they will stay in place.

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Football Manager 27 Is Free to Play on Steam Until November 3 Ahead of Its November 10 Launch (2026)

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 02:54:25 +0000

Football Manager 27 is free to play on Steam until November 3 at 10 am PT (1 pm ET) as part of the Steam Free Weekend promotion, ahead of the game's official release on November 10.

The free period gives players the full Launch Preview of the latest entry in the soccer management series from Sports Interactive and SEGA, and progress carries over to the full game.

Unlike a typical Steam demo, the Football Manager 27 Launch Preview is the complete game. Some bugs and missing assets may still be present because the build predates the official launch.

Football Manager 27 Free Weekend Details and Launch Discount

Players lose access when the free period ends on November 3. Football Manager 27 then gets a launch discount on Steam that runs through the official release date of November 10, so players who decide to buy after the preview can keep their saves and continue with the club they started.

Football Manager 27 puts players in charge of a club, from signing players and developing talent to making decisions that change matches. The new entry adds:

an improved Tactical Effectiveness system
more opportunities to adjust strategies during matches
enhanced stadiums and crowds
improved player animations

The free weekend is a full preview rather than a time-limited trial of selected modes, which makes it a practical way to check performance and the new tactical tools on a specific PC before paying for the game.

Open the Football Manager 27 page in the Steam client or the Steam store.
Install the game and start the Launch Preview before November 3 at 10 am PT.
Decide whether to buy before the launch discount ends on November 10, if the save should carry over to the full release.

Hexologic Is Free to Keep on Steam Until October 31

Steam is also running a Free-to-Keep promotion this week. Hexologic, a 2018 puzzle game from indie developer MythicOwl, can be added to a Steam library at no cost and kept permanently if it is claimed before October 31 at 10 am PT (1 pm ET).

Hexologic puts a spin on Sudoku: players place dots inside hexagonal tiles so that their combined values match the numbers along the edges of each grid. The game has more than 90 levels across 6 worlds, and 96% of its 700 Steam reviews are positive, which gives it an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating.

Football Manager 27 access ends with the free weekend on November 3, while Hexologic stays in the library only for users who claim it before the October 31 deadline.

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