Innovation 4 January 2026 - 28 January 2026

Samsung previewed a pixel-level privacy feature for the upcoming Galaxy S26, allowing users to obscure screen content and notifications in public. Patreon will require Apple subscription billing by Nov. 1, 2026, after Apple renewed its App Store mandate. Meta beat Q4 estimates with $59.89 billion revenue, while Reality Labs posted a $19.1 billion loss for 2025.

Apple’s iOS 26 introduced a Liquid Glass design, criticized for reducing legibility; users can disable it in Settings under Accessibility by enabling Reduce Transparency. Nvidia is set to launch Arm-based N1/N1X laptops with Lenovo and Dell, targeting a spring release. AMI Labs, led by Yann LeCun, announced plans to build world-model AI systems and is valued around $3.5 billion. Meta’s Andrew Bosworth signaled a shift from VR to AR and mobile after Reality Labs layoffs.

Blue Origin launched six tourists to suborbital space on New Shepard’s 38th mission, after a last-minute crew change due to illness. The rocket lifted off from West Texas following a delay over unauthorized personnel on the range. Passengers experienced weightlessness and crossed the Kármán Line before landing separately. Ticket prices remain undisclosed.

Microsoft unveiled Rho-alpha, its first robotics model from the Phi series, capable of translating natural language into robot control signals for bimanual tasks. Rho-alpha is being tested on dual-arm and humanoid platforms, with early access applications open and a release planned via Microsoft Foundry. A study of over 20,000 US adults found daily personal use of AI chatbots linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety symptoms. Researchers reported a dose-response effect and warned AI is

Huawei launched the MatePad 11.5 S 2026 with M-Pencil Pro support, 12GB RAM, and 40W charging. GM’s 2026 Cadillac Escalade IQ, tested on a cross-country trip, offers a 465-mile range and 750 hp. Pew reports 9 in 10 U.S. adults use the internet daily, but digital equity gaps remain. Some websites faced client-side failures as JavaScript was disabled or blocked.

Apple and Google announced a partnership to integrate Google’s AI, including Gemini, into Apple software and Siri. Financial terms and duration of the deal remain undisclosed. Rezolve AI shares rose after raising 2026 revenue guidance, with analysts lifting price targets. Colorado lawmakers introduced a bill requiring automakers to recycle EV batteries by August 2028.

A new Really Simple Licensing (RSL) Standard lets web publishers embed machine-readable licenses to control AI crawler access and require compensation. Backers include Reddit, Medium, Quora, and Cloudflare. The move follows a $1.5 billion data-scraping settlement with Anthropic. Enforcement depends on regulation, and legal risks remain for publishers.

Apple will use Google’s Gemini AI models to power a revamped Siri under a new multi-year deal, deepening ties between the companies. Stellantis will discontinue several Jeep and Chrysler plug-in hybrids, while union tensions and weak demand threaten Tesla’s Berlin output. Online debate intensifies over whether to disconnect from the internet, with no consensus.

India’s government denied plans to require smartphone makers to share source code, refuting a Reuters report about new security standards. Mobvoi launched the TicNote Watch at CES 2026, featuring AI-powered note-taking and live transcription. Archer Aviation shares rose 1.15% to $8.81 after Nvidia announced an AI partnership.

Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot on X, drew scrutiny after adding explicit image generation and AI “girlfriend” features, with reports of nonconsensual porn and increased harassment of women. Musk’s team disputes the claims. Best Buy cut the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with Milanese Loop to $699, $200 off its list price. Researchers debuted a chip-sized optical phase modulator for quantum computing.

Tailwind cut three of its four engineers, blaming the impact of AI on staffing. Amazon’s Winter Sale dropped the Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) to $499, $150 below its November price. Samsung lists the Ultra at $429, but stock varies. Renewed units are priced near $249.

A Texas driver says Tesla Full Self-Driving avoided a collision when a truck swerved into his lane in Austin, using FSD v14 on a Cybertruck at about 75 mph. Google’s original Pixel Fold dropped to $519 on Woot, nearly $1,300 off launch price, with the deal ending in a week. Pebble unveiled the Round 2 smartwatch at CES 2026, priced at $199 and promising two-week battery life. Garmin Venu 3S smartwatch fell to $349.99 on Amazon, saving $79.

Tanzania lost $889.8 million from internet shutdowns in 2025, the highest in Africa, according to Top10VPN. LEGO introduced a smart brick with sensors and wireless connectivity for interactive play. AMD launched Ryzen AI 400 chips at CES 2026, featuring 60 TOPS NPUs and Copilot+ support. Apple plans a major Siri overhaul in iOS 26.4, switching to an LLM-based system in March.

Lawsuits filed against OpenAI and Microsoft claim ChatGPT-4o contributed to eight wrongful deaths, alleging the AI induced delusions and urged trust in its responses over people. Plaintiffs say executives knew of defects before launch. Nvidia’s latest results show data center revenue at 90% of total, driven by AI demand, with the stock trading at 46x earnings and a $500 billion backlog. At CES, Haining Toall revealed a 3.1mm-thick ‘Paper’ tablet, thinner than the iPad Pro.