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OpenAI is deprioritizing work on advertising as it focuses on improving the quality of ChatGPT, reports The Information. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a "code red" on Monday, and told employees that the company needs to improve ChatGPT so it doesn't fall behind competitors like Google and Anthropic. Altman said that OpenAI needs to work on personalization for each user, image generation, and model behavior like speed and reliability. Google debuted Gemini 3 Pro in November, and it outperforms ChatGPT on several benchmarking tests. Google has been luring users with its Nano Banana AI image generator and Anthropic's Claude is popular with business customers. OpenAI's plan to start showing customers ads leaked earlier this week, but Altman told employees that ads are now on the backburner. Work on advertising, shopping AI agents, and a more proactive and personalized version ChatGPT assistant called Pulse has been delayed. OpenAI has been testing several kinds of ads, including ads that would be shown during online shopping requests, but introducing ads could push users to other chatbots. Following the employee memo, ChatGPT lead Nick Turley announced that OpenAI would focus on "making ChatGPT more capable, continue growing, and expand access around the world -- while making it feel even more intuitive and personal." OpenAI is not profitable, and it has to rely on its user numbers for investments. If it loses a significant number of users to Google, it could run into financial trouble. OpenAI will ship a new reasoning model next week, which Altman said is ahead of Gemini 3 in internal evaluations.Tags: ChatGPT, OpenAI This article, "Sam Altman Declares 'Code Red' for ChatGPT, Delays OpenAI Advertising Plans" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

If you want to cut utility bills, the Nest thermostat is $54 off as Cyber Week continues.View the full article

The acquisition price for the events marketplace is a fraction of the $1.76 billion valuation it achieved during its 2018 IPO.View the full article

If you've still have your old cordless phone, it could be the only thing keeping you connected to the world in the event of massive mobile network outages.View the full article

Germany is evaluating Apple's proposed changes to address antitrust concerns over App Tracking Transparency (ATT), reports Reuters. Apple plans to tweak the text and formatting of the ATT consent prompt, while aiming to preserve the main privacy benefits of the feature. Apple will add neutral consent prompts for its own services and for third-party apps, aligning the wording, content, and visual design of the messages. Apple also plans to simplify the consent process to make it easier for developers to get user permission for ad-related data processing. Germany is asking for feedback from publishers, media groups, and regulators to determine if Apple's changes will address complaints about the limited amount of user data available to app publishers. Earlier this year, Apple said that it might have to remove ATT from the EU. "Intense lobbying efforts in Germany, Italy and other countries in Europe may force us to withdraw this feature to the detriment of European consumers," Apple said. Germany first launched a probe into App Tracking Transparency in 2022 after complaints from advertisers, and in February 2025, the German Federal Cartel Office preliminarily decided that Apple abused its market power, giving itself preferential treatment. According to German regulators, Apple's restrictions made it "far more difficult" for developers to access user data relevant for advertising. Introduced in 2021, App Tracking Transparency lets iPhone and iPad users decide whether to allow apps to track their activity across other apps and websites for advertising purposes. Users can choose to allow apps to ask for permission, or turn off tracking entirely. ATT prevents apps from accessing the advertising identifier of Apple devices without express consumer permission, so apps can't track what users do and use that data for ad targeting. ATT has been unpopular with advertisers and data brokers, but Apple has pledged to work to convince Germany and other EU countries to allow it to continue to offer ATT to consumers.Tags: App Tracking Transparency, Germany This article, "Germany Considering Apple's App Tracking Transparency Changes" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The latest funding comes less than two months after Kalshi announced that it raised $300 million at a $5 billion valuation.View the full article

Google is testing how to make it easier to move from search to an AI chat in a new global test. View the full article

Amazon Web Services on Tuesday announced three new AI agents it calls "Frontier agents" for coding, security, and DevOps.View the full article

Apple is not going to be able to escape a class-action antitrust lawsuit over anticompetitive App Store fees in the Netherlands, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) said today. The decision could see Apple facing millions of euros in damages, and it sets a precedent for similar lawsuits in other European countries (via Reuters). Apple could ultimately have to pay up to an estimated 637 million euros to address the damage suffered by 14 million iPhone and iPad users in the Netherlands. The lawsuit dates back to 2022, when two Dutch consumer foundations (Right to Consumer Justice and ‌App Store‌ Claims) accused Apple of abusing its dominant market position and charging developers excessive fees. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Dutch ‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users, and it claimed that Apple's 30 percent commission inflated prices for apps and in-app purchases. Apple argued that the Dutch court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case because the EU ‌App Store‌ is run from Ireland, and therefore the claims should be litigated in Ireland. Apple said that if the Dutch court was able to hear the case, it could lead to fragmentation with multiple similar cases across the EU, plus it argued that customers in the Netherlands could have downloaded apps while in other EU member states. The District Court of Amsterdam ended up asking the CJEU if it had the jurisdiction to hear the case, and the CJEU said yes. The court decided that the ‌App Store‌ in question was designed for the Dutch market, and it offers Dutch apps for sale to people with an Apple ID associated with the Netherlands, giving Dutch courts jurisdiction. Apple told Reuters that it disagrees with the court's ruling, and that it will continue to vigorously defend itself. The District Court of Amsterdam expects to hear the case toward the end of the first quarter of 2026. The civil ‌App Store‌ fee case that Apple is now facing in the Netherlands is separate from the dating app case that was levied against Apple by ACM, the Dutch competition authority. That case involved regulatory action that led to new alternative purchase options for Dutch dating apps. Apple has also been fighting that antitrust case, and racked up fines of 50 million euros.Tags: Apple Antitrust, Apple Lawsuits This article, "Apple Can't Escape Dutch App Store Antitrust Lawsuit, EU Court Rules" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

On Wednesday evening at Playground Global in Palo Alto, some very smart people who are building things you don't understand yet will explain what's coming. This is the final StrictlyVC event of 2025, and truly, the lineup is ridiculous.View the full article

The errors in one of the most beautiful shows ever made continue a modern tradition of reformatting things that are better off left alone.View the full article

Apple today released new firmware for the iPhone Air's MagSafe battery accessory. The firmware has a version number of 8B25, up from the prior 8A351 version. In the Settings app, the new firmware is listed as 99.0 while the prior firmware is 91.0. This is the second firmware update that Apple has provided to ‌iPhone Air‌ users since the battery was released in September. Apple does not provide details on what's included in firmware updates for accessories, but the new firmware likely provides efficiency and performance updates. Accessory firmware updates are done quietly without the user knowing about them, so Apple does not offer installation instructions. ‌MagSafe‌ Battery firmware should update when the battery is connected to the ‌iPhone Air‌, but you can also force an update by connecting the battery pack to a Mac. You can check the version number of the ‌MagSafe‌ Battery's firmware by attaching it to an ‌iPhone Air‌, then going to Settings > General > About > ‌iPhone Air‌ ‌MagSafe‌ Battery. The ‌MagSafe‌ Battery is exclusive to the ‌iPhone Air‌, and it provides ‌iPhone Air‌ users with up to an additional 65 percent charge. The Battery Pack is thin and light because it actually incorporates the exact same battery that Apple used in the ‌iPhone Air‌.Tag: iPhone Air MagSafe Battery This article, "Apple Releases Firmware Update for iPhone Air MagSafe Battery" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Apple has announced it will be donating undisclosed amounts to relief efforts in Asia following separate disasters, including multiple building fires in Hong Kong and a series of severe storms and flooding across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. "Heartbroken by the devastating fire in Hong Kong," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a social media post last week. "Everyone affected is in our thoughts and we are thankful for the first responders. Apple is donating to relief efforts on the ground." "Storms across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka have devastated communities," said Cook, in another post today. "At Apple, we're thinking of everyone affected, and will be donating to relief and building efforts on the ground." Apple has donated to the Red Cross for relief efforts in the past. This article, "Apple Donating to Relief Efforts in Asia After Deadly Fire and Storms" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

Antares is designing and building small modular reactors that it plans to deploy for commercial, space, and defense applications.View the full article

The Beatles Anthology, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Fire and Water: Making The Avatar Films are just a few of the shows you should be watching on Disney+ this month.View the full article

Cyber Monday is over, but many deals are still available, at least for now. These are the absolute best discounts on gear we've tested ourselves.View the full article

Bryan Johnson livestreamed his shrooms trip -- which included both Grimes and Marc Benioff -- as part of his controversial longevity research. View the full article

A newly enacted New York law requires retailers to say whether your data influences the price of basic goods like a dozen eggs or toilet paper, but not how.View the full article

Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the ‌iOS 26‌ software upgrade option more prominent. Since ‌iOS 26‌ launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18 updates front and center. Starting today, that's changing. iOS 18 users who have not upgraded to ‌iOS 26‌ will now see iOS 26.1 as the recommended iOS update in the Settings app. iOS 18 updates are still an option, but are now displayed at the bottom of the app. Apple isn't forcing users to upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌, but it is pushing the update more heavily than it was before in an effort to increase installation numbers. Some users may be hesitant to upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌ because of the Liquid Glass design overhaul that makes major changes to the ‌iPhone‌ interface. Allowing users to stay on the prior-generation version of iOS is an option that Apple has provided since iOS 15, but it doesn't last forever. Right now, Apple is providing iOS 18 security updates to those who choose to stay on that operating system, but that may stop in the coming months. After pushing people to upgrade to ‌iOS 26‌ by making the option more prominent, Apple will likely remove the option to stay on iOS 18, providing ‌iOS 26‌ as the only upgrade available on devices that support the newer software. Eventually, customers who want to stay up to date on security fixes will need to transition to ‌iOS 26‌, though Apple will continue to provide iOS 18 updates for devices that do not support ‌iOS 26‌. Apple hasn't released ‌iOS 26‌ adoption numbers, so it is unclear how many people have decided to upgrade. Apple typically updates its iOS numbers several months after a new version of iOS launches, so we could get details in January or February. Upgrading to ‌iOS 26‌ from iOS 18 is irreversible, and Apple does not provide a way to downgrade back to the prior version of iOS. (Thanks, Nicolás!) This article, "Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued directions to app-based communication service providers to ensure that the platforms cannot be used without an active SIM card linked to the user's mobile number. To that end, messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat, Arattai, Sharechat, Josh, JioChat, and Signal that use an Indian mobile number for uniquely identifying theirView the full article

Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to ‌iPhone 17‌ demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to grow 1.5 percent, primarily because of the success of the iPhone. In China, Apple's largest market, massive demand for iPhone 17 has significantly accelerated Apple's performance. It ranked first in October and November per IDC's China Monthly Sales data with more than 20% share, miles ahead of the competition, leading IDC to revise Apple's Q4 forecast in China from 9% to 17% YoY. This turns a previously projected 1% decline in China for 2025 into a positive 3% growth, that's a phenomenal turnaround. The success story is replicated across all regions, including the US and Western Europe that had previously slowed down. This calendar year will not only be a record period for Apple in terms of shipments but also in value, which is forecast to exceed $261 billion, with 7.2% YoY growth in 2025. Back in October, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple is expecting to set a new all-time revenue record in the December quarter, and a best-ever revenue record for the ‌iPhone‌. Apple believes overall revenue will grow 10 to 12 percent year-over-year. Apple has seen strong interest in the standard ‌iPhone 17‌ and the iPhone 17 Pro models, even though the iPhone Air hasn't performed as expected. Next year, Apple plans to change its ‌iPhone‌ release timelines. The high-end ‌iPhone‌ Fold and the iPhone 18 Pro models will come out in September 2026 as usual, but the lower-priced ‌iPhone 18‌ will be held until spring 2027. IDC predicts that the decision will drop iOS shipments by 4.2 percent in 2026, while a global memory shortage will lead to supply constraints and price increases across the smartphone market. Total global smartphone shipments could decline 0.9 percent in 2026 due to the supply issues and Apple's lineup changes.Tag: IDC This article, "iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

OpenAI appears to be working on Apple Health integration for ChatGPT, although it is unclear when the functionality might be made available to the public. The latest version of the ChatGPT app for the iPhone contains a new image of the Apple Health icon hidden within the app's code. The image's file name suggests that it will be possible to connect the Apple Health app to ChatGPT, so that you can receive more personalized and useful answers based on your health and fitness data. The image shows that ChatGPT would be able to tap into several Apple Health categories related to your activity, sleep, diet, breathing, and hearing. While the ChatGPT app for the iPhone was updated on Monday, it is unclear when this functionality will go live, if ever. Should the plans move forward, Apple Health would be available in ChatGPT's settings, under Apps & Connectors. ChatGPT can already connect to many other apps, including Box, Dropbox, GitHub, Google Drive, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Notion, Slack, and others.Tags: Apple Health, ChatGPT, OpenAI This article, "Apple Health Integration Seemingly Coming to ChatGPT" first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums View the full article

The Atlassian Ecosystem gives you the power to work your way. Atlassian Ecosystem is more than a marketplace—it’s a launchpad for innovation, growth, and lasting impact. By combining Atlassian’s powerful products with a world-class ecosystem of apps, integrations, and partners, customers can unlock limitless possibilities to innovate, adapt, and grow. Whether synthesizing cross platform knowledge, breaking silos, automating workflows, or building custom solutions, the Atlassian Ecosystem delivers AI-enabled solutions with the flexibility, security, and continuous innovation that modern organizations demand. The promise of AI in the enterprise isn’t just about having locally aware smart assistants within each tool —it’s about having smart assistants that truly understand your business. Today, we’re excited to highlight how our partnership with Unito is making that vision a reality by bringing enterprise context directly into Rovo through the Atlassian Teamwork Graph. Breaking Down the Enterprise Data Divide Here’s the challenge every enterprise faces: your most critical business context lives scattered across dozens of tools. Sales data in Salesforce. Service tickets in ServiceNow. Project timelines in Wrike or Asana. When these systems operate in isolation, even the most sophisticated AI can only see fragments of the full picture. Unito’s Rovo connectors in the Atlassian Marketplace change that equation entirely. By syncing data from external enterprise tools directly into the Atlassian Teamwork Graph, they create something amazing: a unified view of work that spans your entire toolstack, making Rovo exponentially more intelligent and contextually aware. What Makes Unito’s Approach Unique Unlike simple data imports or basic integrations, Unito’s Rovo connectors are built for enterprise complexity: Precision Control: Custom field mapping and granular filtering ensure you bring exactly the right data into your Teamwork Graph—no more, no less. This isn’t just about connecting systems; it’s about curating the perfect dataset for AI intelligence. Enterprise-Grade Flexibility: Support for custom objects and configurable mappings means these connectors adapt to your organization’s unique data model, not the other way around. Real-Time Sync: As work happens across your tools, that context flows immediately into the Teamwork Graph, keeping Rovo’s understanding current and actionable. Amplifying Rovo’s Intelligence When Unito’s connectors feed the Teamwork Graph, every aspect of Rovo becomes more powerful: Rovo Search can surface insights from across your entire enterprise toolstack Rovo Chat provides answers grounded in complete business context Rovo Agents can act on data from sales, service, and project management tools. The result? AI that doesn’t just understand individual tools—it understands how your business actually operates. Real Impact, Real Results The transformation is immediate and measurable: Salesforce Connector for Rovo: When deals close in Salesforce, Rovo agents can automatically reprioritize Jira projects based on new customer commitments—no manual handoffs required. ServiceNow Connector for Rovo: IT incidents flow directly into the Teamwork Graph, allowing Rovo to correlate service issues with development work and suggest proactive solutions. Wrike Connector for Rovo and Asana Connector for Rovo: Project tasks sync seamlessly, enabling Rovo agents to understand dependencies across platforms and optimize resource allocation. These examples only hint at what is possible, because the opportunities for contextually aware AI are truly endless as more data and workflows come into view. From AI Pilots to AI at Scale This partnership represents something bigger than individual integrations—it’s about making enterprise AI actually work at scale. By enriching the Teamwork Graph with data from across your organization, Unito’s connectors help Rovo move beyond answering simple questions to orchestrating complex, cross-functional workflows. As Tiffany To, Executive Vice President of Platform and Enterprise at Atlassian, puts it: By bringing Unito’s enterprise-grade connectors into the Atlassian Teamwork Graph, we’re unlocking a new level of intelligence for our customers—connecting data, workflows, and teams across the tools they rely on every day.” The future of enterprise AI isn’t about replacing your existing tools—it’s about making them work together intelligently. With Unito’s connectors feeding the Teamwork Graph, Rovo becomes not just an AI assistant, but a true reflection of how modern enterprises operate: connected, contextual, and incredibly smart. AI is only as powerful as the context it understands. Enterprises need AI that captures the full breadth of their operations by drawing on knowledge from sales, service, and project tools. When AI acts on those inputs, workflows run more smoothly, work items stay up to date, and execution across teams becomes far more effective. With the integration between Unito connectors and Atlassian’s Teamwork Graph, Rovo has access to even more apps, providing a connected view of work across the organization. Marc Boscher, CEO of Unito Ready to supercharge your Rovo deployment? Explore Unito’s enterprise connectors on the Atlassian Marketplace and see how connected data transforms AI intelligence. The post Supercharging Rovo: how Unito’s Connectors in the Atlassian Marketplace transform AI intelligence appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

As Google and Microsoft continue to surge, the AWS chief lays out his pitch: cheaper, reliable AI delivered at hyperscale.View the full article

Nova Forge lets Amazon’s customers train frontier models for different tasks—a potential breakthrough in making AI actually useful for businesses.View the full article