News 15 January 2026 - 16 January 2026

FTSE 100 Drops as AstraZeneca Hit Pounds London Shares
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London stocks lagged Tuesday as FTSE 100 missed surge in other corners

The FTSE 100 edged lower Thursday, though the main index drop didn’t tell the whole story. A big pharmaceutical stock weighed on the benchmark, but banks, miners, tech names and mid-cap shares all moved up in the background. FTSE 100 slipped 0.2% to 10,472.5. Gains in banks, up 2.2%, and miners, both industrial and precious-metal names, up over 4%, couldn’t make up for AstraZeneca’s trial news. The FTSE 250 added 1.0%, breaking a three-day losing streak and suggesting investors aren’t just pulling out of UK names.
July 9, 2026
Your Next Smartphone Could Cost More in 2026 — The AI Memory Crunch Is Hitting Budget Phones First
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Your Next Smartphone Could Cost More in 2026 — The AI Memory Crunch Is Hitting Budget Phones First

Industry analysts and executives warn that a shrinking supply of memory chips will drive up smartphone prices in 2026, with budget models expected to face the biggest impact initially. The timing is rough for the industry. Global smartphone shipments hit around 1.25 billion units in 2025 after modest growth, according to Omdia. But now IDC predicts the market will shrink this year as component prices rise. They expect handset costs to climb 6% to 8%, with memory making up about 15% to 20% of the parts cost in mid-range phones. This makes entry-level devices particularly “price elastic,” since buyers tend to pull back quickly when prices increase.
January 16, 2026
Samsung Wallet adds Toyota Digital Car Key support as 2026 RAV4 rollout starts
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Samsung Wallet adds Toyota Digital Car Key support as 2026 RAV4 rollout starts

Samsung Electronics is adding Toyota Motor vehicles to the list of cars that can be accessed via Samsung Wallet, starting with select 2026 Toyota RAV4 models rolling out this month in the United States, Canada and Mexico. https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-wallet-introduces-digital-key-access-for-select-toyota-vehicles The move matters because phone makers are trying to push wallet apps beyond tap-to-pay and transit passes, turning them into a daily tool that also controls physical access. Automakers, meanwhile, have been inching toward common standards for phone-based keys as connected-car features spread.
January 16, 2026
Apple’s iOS 26.3 beta hints at encrypted iPhone-to-Android texts — and carriers may hold the switch
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Apple’s iOS 26.3 beta hints at encrypted iPhone-to-Android texts — and carriers may hold the switch

Apple is edging closer to offering end-to-end encryption for Rich Communication Services texts between iPhones and Android phones, after new references surfaced in carrier bundles tied to iOS 26.3 beta 2, according to a Yahoo Tech report. That matters because RCS — a modern replacement for SMS that adds features like read receipts and better photo sharing — has been available on iPhones since iOS 18, but cross-platform chats have largely lacked end-to-end encryption, meaning phone companies and other intermediaries could potentially see message content as it moves across networks.
January 16, 2026
China’s Viral “Are You Dead?” App Disappears From China Stores as Solo Living Soars
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China’s Viral “Are You Dead?” App Disappears From China Stores as Solo Living Soars

Beijing, January 16, 2026, 17:00 GMT+8 A Chinese mobile app called “Are You Dead?” that went viral by asking users to prove they are still alive disappeared from Apple’s App Store in mainland China early Friday, after drawing intense attention and a backlash over its grim name. The one-button app, aimed at people living alone, costs about 8 yuan and prompts users to tap a large green circle as a daily check-in; if they miss several days, it alerts a designated emergency contact. One of the developers, Ian Lü, said the goal was a low-friction routine — “It’s unrealistic to message people every day just to tell them you’re still alive” — and the team said the takedown happened suddenly
January 16, 2026
iPhone reboot alert: why Apple’s iOS 26.2 update is suddenly urgent
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iPhone reboot alert: why Apple’s iOS 26.2 update is suddenly urgent

Fresh warnings are pushing iPhone owners to update their devices and reboot, after reports highlighted that security fixes for targeted attacks are tied to Apple’s latest iOS releases. Why it matters now: Apple has linked two flaws in WebKit — the web engine behind Safari and all iPhone browsers — to attacks it describes as highly sophisticated. A successful hit can begin with maliciously crafted web content, turning routine browsing into a potential entry point.
January 16, 2026
Technology News 16.01.2026
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Technology News 16.01.2026

ENDEDLive coverage has endedEnded: January 17, 2026, 12:00 AM EST Lawmaker flags loophole in NSF ACCESS program tied to Chinese access to US HPC resources January 16, 2026, 11:58 PM EST. The House China Select Committee chairman is pressing NSF over a loophole in the ACCESS program that may let Chinese institutions view U.S.-funded high-performance computing resources. Rep. John Moolenaar sent a letter to NSF interim director Brian Stone asking the agency to revoke access for China-linked entities. ACCESS is a nationwide collection of supercomputers for academics; U.S.-based researchers must lead access, though foreign researchers can join if a U.S.
January 16, 2026
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra drops to $329.99 as Woot and Samsung UK push fresh deals
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Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra drops to $329.99 as Woot and Samsung UK push fresh deals

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Watch Ultra has dropped to $329.99 on Woot, slashing nearly 50% off its original $649.99 price tag. This steep discount applies to an international model—meant for markets outside the U.S.—and comes with a 90-day warranty from the retailer. Buyers can snag up to two units each. Smartwatch makers and retailers are ramping up discounts early in the year, trying to boost sales as demand typically dips after the holiday rush. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series is battling closely with Apple’s Watch lineup at the premium end, while also competing with Google’s Pixel Watch for the Android audience.
January 15, 2026
iPhone 17e leak hints at Dynamic Island upgrade — but Apple may stick with a 60Hz screen
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iPhone 17e leak hints at Dynamic Island upgrade — but Apple may stick with a 60Hz screen

Cupertino, California, January 15, 2026, 11:57 A Chinese smartphone leaker said on Thursday that Apple’s expected iPhone 17e will add the “Dynamic Island” cutout at the top of the screen while keeping a 60-hertz refresh rate, a specification increasingly seen as dated in mid-range phones. The post said the device is due in the first half of 2026 and would use a 6.1-inch LTPS OLED panel, an A19 processor and Face ID. https://weibo.com/6048569942/5255347191415145
January 15, 2026
Apple Watch update alert: Apple rolls out watchOS 26.3 Public Beta 2 — what changes for users
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Apple Watch update alert: Apple rolls out watchOS 26.3 Public Beta 2 — what changes for users

CUPERTINO, California, Jan 15, 2026, 12:02 Apple has rolled out the second public beta of watchOS 26.3 for Apple Watch testers, continuing a software update wave across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. This batch of public betas also introduces an iPhone feature in the European Union that allows users to forward notifications to non-Apple wearables, which could chip away at the Apple Watch’s edge in that region.
January 15, 2026
iOS 26 iPhone users may finally get encrypted Android texts — but carriers can still hold the switch
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iOS 26 iPhone users may finally get encrypted Android texts — but carriers can still hold the switch

Apple is preparing for end-to-end encryption in RCS messages with iOS 26.3 beta 2, the texting protocol used when iPhones communicate with Android devices, according to Android Authority. The new carrier settings show up exclusively for four French carriers, but none have activated the feature so far. This is important because RCS now serves as the default “bridge” for everyday messaging between iPhones and Android phones, yet it doesn’t offer the same privacy safeguards as iMessage. Unlike RCS, iMessage uses end-to-end encryption, ensuring only the sender and recipient can read the messages—not the carrier or the platform handling the data.
January 15, 2026
Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 just dropped for Pixel — Google targets battery drain, Wi‑Fi bugs and missed calls
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Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2 just dropped for Pixel — Google targets battery drain, Wi‑Fi bugs and missed calls

Google has rolled out Android 16 QPR3 Beta 2, targeting battery drain and connectivity glitches on Pixel devices ahead of the upcoming quarterly update. Released on Jan. 14, this build includes the 2026-01-05 security patch and is being distributed over-the-air to Pixel phones, tablets, and foldables registered in the beta program. Why it matters now: quarterly Android updates focus on the less flashy but crucial improvements users actually feel—fewer freezes, reduced dropped or missed calls, and better overnight battery performance. They also provide developers an early preview of what will appear first on Google’s own devices before rolling out to other Android manufacturers.
January 15, 2026
India puts Apple’s iPhone App Store on the clock as $38 billion antitrust fine risk looms
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India puts Apple’s iPhone App Store on the clock as $38 billion antitrust fine risk looms

India has delivered a final warning to Apple in its antitrust probe concerning the iPhone App Store, signaling it will press forward next week after dragging on for over a year. Apple has countered, warning that fines could reach up to $38 billion if calculated on global revenue. The warning emerges as New Delhi considers a sweeping smartphone security overhaul, requiring manufacturers to provide source code—the core programming instructions—for government review and to retain device logs for a year. Akash Karmakar, a partner at Panag & Babu, described this level of access as “a massive step backwards” for India’s efforts to improve ease of doing business.
January 15, 2026
Samsung quietly changes Galaxy AI fine print: basic features now “free,” paid upgrades still on the table
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Samsung quietly changes Galaxy AI fine print: basic features now “free,” paid upgrades still on the table

Samsung Electronics has clarified the details regarding Galaxy AI on its devices, noting that “Galaxy AI basic features” remain free of charge but warning that additional AI tools might incur costs. This shift is significant since “AI features” now headline alongside cameras and battery life, yet they come with ongoing costs due to cloud server usage. People are closely monitoring whether manufacturers will lock these popular tools behind subscription fees.
January 15, 2026
Google flags 12-year power grid waits as the new choke point for its AI data centers
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Google flags 12-year power grid waits as the new choke point for its AI data centers

Google points to the U.S. transmission system as the biggest bottleneck for launching new data centers, with wait times for grid connections stretching beyond a decade in some regions. “Transmission barriers are the number one challenge we’re seeing on the grid,” said Marsden Hanna, Google’s global head of sustainability and climate policy. He noted one utility citing “12 years to study the interconnection timeline.” To dodge some of the delays, Google is looking into “co-location” — situating data centers adjacent to power plants, Hanna added. The timing couldn’t be more challenging for the industry. The Energy Information Administration revealed this week that U.S. power consumption is set to break records in 2026 and 2027, driven by data centers supporting artificial
January 15, 2026
Ryanair rejects Starlink in-flight WiFi, citing fuel hit as airlines weigh satellite internet
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Ryanair rejects Starlink in-flight WiFi, citing fuel hit as airlines weigh satellite internet

BRUSSELS, 15 January 2026, 17:27 CET Ryanair has dismissed the idea of installing Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet on its planes, citing a fuel penalty caused by the added weight and drag of the antenna. “You need to put antenna on fuselage—it comes with a 2% fuel penalty because of the weight and drag,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told Reuters, emphasizing that the costs don’t make sense for the airline’s typical one-hour flights.
January 15, 2026
OpenAI’s $10B Cerebras bet is about one thing: making ChatGPT faster
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OpenAI’s $10B Cerebras bet is about one thing: making ChatGPT faster

OpenAI agreed to buy up to 750 megawatts of computing power from AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems over three years in a deal worth more than $10 billion, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The ChatGPT maker is stacking up capacity as demand rises for “reasoning” systems that take longer to answer. The squeeze now is not just training new models. It is serving them at scale, fast, and without blowing out cost or power use.
January 15, 2026
Google Gemini AI gets “Personal Intelligence” — and your Gmail and Photos are in play (if you opt in)
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Google Gemini AI gets “Personal Intelligence” — and your Gmail and Photos are in play (if you opt in)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — January 15, 2026, 08:30 PST On Wednesday, Google started deploying “Personal Intelligence,” a beta capability within its Gemini AI that connects to a user’s Gmail, Google Photos, Search, and YouTube history to customize responses, the company announced. The feature is disabled by default and will be available over the next week to qualifying Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S., with plans for a wider rollout later.
January 15, 2026
Google Pixel 11 could be built in Vietnam — and a big modem switch is now rumored
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Google Pixel 11 could be built in Vietnam — and a big modem switch is now rumored

Google’s next Pixel flagship lineup — including the unannounced Google Pixel 11 models — may be built from the ground up in a different country. Reuters says Google plans to start developing and manufacturing its high-end Pixel, Pixel Pro, and Pixel Fold phones in Vietnam in 2026, while lower-end Pixel A development remains in China, citing Nikkei Asia sources. That’s not just an assembly-line shuffle. New Product Introduction — NPI, the phase where the factory process is designed, tested, and tweaked before launch — is where bugs get hunted down and where costs, yields, and durability decisions are basically locked in.
January 15, 2026
Dell’Oro: Fixed Wireless Access spending stays above $10B a year through 2029
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Dell’Oro: Fixed Wireless Access spending stays above $10B a year through 2029

Spending on Fixed Wireless Access infrastructure and customer-premises equipment is expected to stay above $10 billion a year through 2029, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group. The firm’s preliminary read also points to total FWA revenues—including radio access network gear, residential CPE, and enterprise routers and gateways—rising about 10% in 2025, with total subscriptions projected to top 191 million by 2029. Dell’Oro vice president Jeff Heynen said U.S. operators are expanding FWA availability “in both existing and new markets,” while operators in India, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East accelerate rollouts as satellite broadband players like Starlink, Amazon, and OneWeb loom larger. This matters right now because FWA is one of the few broadband options that can
January 15, 2026
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