Software Development 17 October 2025 - 4 March 2026

Google Adds Gemini Notebooks Synced With NotebookLM in Challenge to ChatGPT Projects
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Google Adds Gemini Notebooks Synced With NotebookLM in Challenge to ChatGPT Projects

Google began rolling out the “Notebooks” feature in Gemini on Wednesday for AI Ultra, Pro, and Plus subscribers on the web. The tool lets users group chats, files, and instructions by topic and syncs with NotebookLM. Free users, mobile access, and more European countries will follow later. Under-18, Workspace, and Education accounts are excluded for now.
April 9, 2026
OpenAI’s GPT-5.3 Codex lands with a 25% speed boost — and bigger ambitions than coding
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OpenAI’s GPT-5.3 Codex lands with a 25% speed boost — and bigger ambitions than coding

OpenAI launched GPT-5.3-Codex on Thursday, claiming a 25% speed increase and improved performance on coding benchmarks. The update is live for paid ChatGPT users across multiple platforms. OpenAI says the model can handle longer, more complex coding and research tasks, and marks it as “High capability” in cybersecurity, with new safeguards and access checks for advanced users.
February 5, 2026
Notepad++ hit by months-long update hijack blamed on China-linked hackers — what users need to know
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Notepad++ hit by months-long update hijack blamed on China-linked hackers — what users need to know

Notepad++ said Monday its update process was hijacked in 2025, letting attackers push malicious downloads to select users. Researchers linked the campaign to Chinese state-backed hackers. The breach stemmed from shared hosting, not the source code. The vulnerability was fixed in November, with new update verification measures now in place.
February 2, 2026
Google leak reveals “Aluminium OS” — Android desktop for PCs caught on video
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Google leak reveals “Aluminium OS” — Android desktop for PCs caught on video

Google briefly published screen recordings of “Aluminium OS,” an Android-based desktop interface, running on a Chromebook before restricting access to the footage. The videos showed window controls and a Chrome extensions button, suggesting a PC-style Android build. Tech sites say the leak offers the clearest look yet at Google’s Android-for-PC project. Google has not announced launch details or device compatibility.
January 28, 2026
OpenAI’s $20 billion run-rate lands as Apple picks Google Gemini to remake Siri
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OpenAI’s $20 billion run-rate lands as Apple picks Google Gemini to remake Siri

OpenAI’s annualized revenue jumped to over $20 billion in 2025, up from $6 billion the previous year, CFO Sarah Friar said. Apple will use Google’s Gemini models to power a new version of Siri, giving Google access to more than two billion devices. OpenAI will remain a Siri option for complex queries. The Apple-Google deal could draw regulatory scrutiny.
January 20, 2026
ChatGPT App’s Meteoric Rise Stalls: Downloads Dip and Daily Usage Tumbles as Rivals Surge
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OpenAI GPT‑5.1 Goes Mainstream: What Developers, GitHub Copilot and Microsoft Copilot Studio Users Need to Know Today (15 November 2025)

OpenAI’s GPT-5.1 model is now live in the OpenAI API, GitHub Copilot, and Microsoft Copilot Studio. ChatGPT is being upgraded to GPT-5.1 Instant and Thinking, adding new tone and personalization features. Perplexity AI has integrated GPT-5.1 for paid users. Early testers report faster speeds and lower token usage compared to previous models.
November 15, 2025
GrapheneOS Breaks Free from Pixel Exclusivity as Major Phone Maker Joins Forces
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GrapheneOS Breaks Free from Pixel Exclusivity as Major Phone Maker Joins Forces

GrapheneOS will expand beyond Google Pixel phones, partnering with an unnamed major Android manufacturer to support flagship Snapdragon devices. The project will offer official support for the partner’s standard retail models, allowing users to install GrapheneOS as on Pixels. Pixel support will continue for current and upcoming models. The new partner is not Fairphone; the name remains undisclosed.
October 17, 2025