SSPAI

Category: NEWS

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Pentagon Pressures Anthropic as Meta Signs AI Chip Deal with AMD

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Pentagon Pressures Anthropic as Meta Signs AI Chip Deal with AMD

    Morning Brief

    1. Pentagon Issues Ultimatum to Anthropic
    2. Panasonic Outsources TV Business
    3. Ubiquiti Releases Cloud Gateway Industrial 10GbE Gateway
    4. Sigma Announces Full-Frame 35mm F1.4 DG II and APS-C 15mm F1.4 DC Lenses
    5. Meta Reaches Chip Procurement Agreement with AMD
    6. 1Password to Increase Subscription Prices
    7. Lamborghini Cancels Lanzador EV Project
    8. Blizzard Announces Overwatch Mobile Spin-Off
    9. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Pentagon Issues Ultimatum to Anthropic

    According to Axios, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held a closed-door meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and formally issued a Friday evening (February 27) deadline, demanding that Anthropic abandon its AI Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) restrictions on “mass domestic surveillance” and “fully autonomous lethal weapons.” Failure to comply would result in Anthropic being designated a “supply chain risk” company, after which the U.S. government could invoke the Defense Production Act (DPA) to forcibly assume control of its technology. Under the DPA, the government would have the authority to compel Anthropic to prioritize defense-related customization of model versions without safety guardrails—an approach previously used to increase production of critical materials during wartime or pandemics.

    Earlier at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei criticized the U.S. government’s decision to allow NVIDIA to export H200 processors to China, emphasizing that maintaining a computational advantage over China is crucial to preventing authoritarian regimes from leveraging AI technologies. On February 23 (local time), Anthropic also accused three Chinese firms—DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax—of conducting industrial-scale distillation attacks on its models via an official blog post. Claude currently remains the only advanced AI system granted IL6-level classified access by the Pentagon, yet Anthropic has refused to compromise on its usage restrictions. Military officials have emphasized that defense tools must support “all lawful uses” and should not be constrained by private companies’ “woke” policies. The Pentagon is reportedly accelerating alternative solutions and confirmed earlier this week that it has signed an agreement with Elon Musk’s xAI to allow its Grok model into classified systems for weapons development and battlefield operations, while also nearing a classified access agreement with Google’s Gemini. Source

    Panasonic Outsources TV Business

    Panasonic has announced a strategic partnership with Skyworth, transferring its television manufacturing, sales, and marketing operations. Under the agreement, Skyworth will lead sales, marketing, and logistics in North America and Europe, while Panasonic will provide technical expertise and quality assurance and jointly develop high-end OLED models with Skyworth. Panasonic has also committed to providing after-sales support for televisions sold before March 2026, as well as for new models launching from April onward.

    This business restructuring will take effect in April 2026, at which point Panasonic’s entertainment division will be integrated into Panasonic Holdings. Source

    Ubiquiti Releases Cloud Gateway Industrial 10GbE Gateway

    On February 19, Ubiquiti announced the launch of its UniFi Industrial product line, featuring fanless passive cooling designed for extreme environments. The first product in the lineup is the multifunctional 10GbE gateway, Cloud Gateway Industrial, also known as the UCG-Industrial (270W).

    The UCG-Industrial is powered by a quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 processor clocked at 2.2GHz and comes with 3GB of memory. It can manage over 50 UniFi devices and support connections for more than 500 users, with deployment options that include rack-mounted setups. In terms of connectivity, it offers one 10Gb SFP+ port, one 10GbE PoE+++ RJ45 port, four 2.5GbE RJ45 ports (two supporting PoE+++ and two supporting PoE++), and integrated BE5000 dual-band Wi-Fi 7. It also comes pre-installed with a 128GB microSD card for NVR storage and includes a SIM card slot compatible with the UniFi 5G Max Outdoor modem. The device is priced at $579. Source

    Sigma Announces Full-Frame 35mm F1.4 DG II and APS-C 15mm F1.4 DC Lenses

    On February 24, Sigma officially announced two new lenses: the 35mm F1.4 DG II and the 15mm F1.4 DC. The 35mm F1.4 DG II features a newly designed optical structure with 15 elements in 12 groups, including four high-precision aspherical elements and two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) elements. It comes with an 11-blade rounded diaphragm. The lens weighs 530g and measures 94mm in length (L-mount), and is equipped with a dual HLA floating focus system. Compared to its predecessor, it is approximately 14% shorter and 20% lighter. The lens includes AFL buttons at two positions, which can be assigned various functions via compatible camera menus. In addition to the aperture ring, it also features an aperture ring lock switch and a de-click switch. The lens is priced at $1,059.

    The 15mm F1.4 DC lens is designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras and serves as an upgrade to the previous 16mm F1.4 model. It measures 64.8mm in length and weighs 220g, offering a full-frame equivalent focal length of 22.5mm (24mm for the Canon RF mount). Compared to the previous generation, it is about 30% shorter and 50% lighter, and features a 9-blade diaphragm. It uses a stepping motor to drive a lightweight focusing group and includes an aperture ring for intuitive control. The Canon RF mount version also incorporates a customizable control ring. The lens is available in E, X, and RF mounts and is priced at $579. Source

    Meta Reaches Chip Procurement Agreement with AMD

    On February 24, Meta announced plans to procure up to $100 billion worth of chips from AMD, including MI540-series GPUs and next-generation CPUs, which are expected to power approximately 6GW of data center energy demand. As part of the multi-year agreement, AMD has granted Meta performance-based stock warrants equivalent to roughly 10% of the company’s shares, with an exercise price of $0.01 per share. The final vesting of these warrants will depend on AMD achieving milestone targets such as reaching a stock price of $600. Source

    1Password to Increase Subscription Prices

    On February 24, password management service provider 1Password announced that it will raise subscription fees for its Individual and Family plans starting March 27, 2026. According to an official email, the annual fee for the Individual plan will increase from $35.88 to $47.88—a 33% rise—while the Family plan will go from $59.88 to $71.88 annually. The new rates will take effect at the next billing cycle after March 27. Users who renew before that date can still enjoy the current pricing for one additional year.

    1Password attributed the price increase to significant investments in security technologies, including the proactive phishing protection feature introduced in January to counter AI-assisted phishing attacks, AI-driven item naming, and an enhanced Watchtower alert system. Source

    Lamborghini Cancels Lanzador EV Project

    In a recent interview, Lamborghini announced the cancellation of its Lanzador all-electric SUV project. The decision was based on limited demand for fully electric vehicles in the luxury supercar segment and the slowing pace of EV adoption. CEO Stephan Winkelmann stated that investing heavily in full electrification before the market has matured would be financially irresponsible. The brand will instead shift toward a fully plug-in hybrid (PHEV) lineup while proactively addressing the EU’s regulatory requirement for 90% zero-emission new vehicles by 2035. Lamborghini plans to convert all of its models to plug-in hybrid versions by 2030. Source

    Blizzard Announces Overwatch Mobile Spin-Off

    Blizzard Entertainment has officially revealed Overwatch Rush, a mobile spin-off based on the Overwatch IP. Rather than being a port of the mainline series, the game is a top-down shooter designed specifically for mobile devices. It is being developed by an internal mobile team separate from Team 4 and features a 4v4 competitive mode with a more cartoonish art style. The initial roster includes heroes from the main series such as Tracer, Reinhardt, and Mercy—whose abilities have been reworked into a more combat-focused medic role. The game supports dual virtual joystick controls and customizable abilities.

    The title will launch as a free-to-play (F2P) game on Android and iOS platforms. It is currently in the early stages of development, with the first round of Beta testing planned to begin soon in select regions such as the Philippines. Blizzard has also promised to provide ongoing development updates via Discord. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • Bloomberg has revealed the core specifications of Apple’s first touchscreen MacBook Pro, reporting that the lineup will offer both 14-inch and 16-inch versions, expected to launch in late 2026 (around October to November) alongside the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. The devices are also said to feature a dynamic interactive interface that may address the long-standing challenge of interacting with vertical touchscreens, potentially challenging Steve Jobs’ earlier assertion that touchscreen computers are an ergonomic disaster. Source
    • Some users have claimed that Sony may revive the PlayStation Vita TV product line while developing a new handheld console. The now-discontinued PlayStation TV (also known as PlayStation Vita TV) was released in 2013 as Sony’s smallest-ever home console, capable of playing PSP and selected PS Vita titles when connected to a TV or monitor. The device also supported the now-defunct PS Now cloud gaming service and featured PS4 Remote Play functionality. Source
    • Meta AI security researcher Summer Yue recently disclosed on social media that while using OpenClaw to process emails, a data compression mechanism caused critical instructions to be skipped, resulting in the deletion of a large number of her personal emails within Meta AI. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Samsung Brings Perplexity AI to Galaxy as PayPal Confirms App Data Breach

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Samsung Brings Perplexity AI to Galaxy as PayPal Confirms App Data Breach

    Morning Brief

    1. Samsung to Bring Perplexity AI to Galaxy Phones
    2. Linux Kernel 7.0-rc1 Released
    3. Firefox 115 ESR to End Support for Windows 7/8 This Month
    4. PayPal Confirms Data Breach in Its App
    5. Google Releases AI Music Generation Model Lyria 3
    6. Microsoft Edge to Remove Custom Master Password Feature
    7. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Samsung to Bring Perplexity AI to Galaxy Phones

    On February 22, Samsung Mobile announced that Galaxy AI is further expanding its multi-AI agent ecosystem to deliver more diverse and flexible user experiences. Perplexity AI will be introduced to flagship Galaxy devices, and Samsung stated that it plans to collaborate with more partners in the future to jointly develop Galaxy AI into a more inclusive AI ecosystem. Samsung has also adapted a new wake word, “Hey Plex,” for Perplexity AI. Users can alternatively long-press the side button to activate it. Similar to Bixby, it can interact with Samsung’s first-party and some third-party apps for system-level integration. Specific supported models will be announced soon. Source

    Linux Kernel 7.0-rc1 Released

    Linux kernel version 7.0-rc1 was officially released on February 22, bringing multiple changes and new features. In terms of new hardware support, it adds compatibility for Intel Nova Lake and Diamond Rapids processors, AMD Zen 6, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X2. Performance improvements are also notable, including better PostgreSQL performance on AMD EPYC, improved sequential read performance for exFAT, various F2FS file system enhancements, memory management optimizations, improved concurrent direct I/O writes in EXT4, default enablement of Intel TSX auto mode, scheduler performance and scalability work, and the return of large page memory support for Nouveau to boost NVK performance. Source

    Firefox 115 ESR to End Support for Windows 7/8 This Month

    On February 18, Mozilla updated its official support documentation, confirming that it will end maintenance support for the Firefox 115 ESR (Extended Support Release) browser on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 by the end of this month (February 2026). This makes Mozilla the last major browser vendor to drop support for these legacy systems, following Chrome and Edge. Mozilla had originally planned to end support for Firefox 115 ESR in September 2024. Source

    PayPal Confirms Data Breach in Its App

    PayPal recently confirmed that its PayPal Working Capital app experienced a data breach caused by a code vulnerability. The flaw existed for six months, from July 1, 2025 to December 13, 2025. At the time of the announcement, PayPal had contacted approximately 100 potentially affected customers whose names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, phone numbers, and business addresses were exposed to unauthorized access. Some users have already reported discovering unauthorized transfer records in their accounts. PayPal Working Capital is a lending service app under PayPal that provides small business loans based on merchants’ transaction histories. Source

    Google Releases AI Music Generation Model Lyria 3

    On February 19, Google released a new AI music generation model named Lyria 3. The model can create high-fidelity, 30-second audio tracks based on text, image, audio, or video prompts, supporting a wide range of styles—from short ad jingles and lo-fi beats to more complex arrangements and full songs. Users can control genre, vocals, and rhythm through prompts. Lyria 3 can also automatically generate lyrics based on the prompt, and when paired with Nano Banana, it can create matching album artwork. The model currently supports English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Portuguese, with more languages planned for future updates. It has already been integrated into the Gemini app, where users can access it by selecting the “Music” option from the “Tools” dropdown menu. Google has also released a prompt guide for Lyria 3 to help users get started quickly. Source

    Microsoft Edge to Remove Custom Master Password Feature

    According to the Edge Beta channel update log, starting from Edge 146, the custom master password feature in the Edge password manager will be removed, and users will no longer be able to create new custom master passwords as a security measure for saved credentials. Users who have already enabled this feature will receive a warning notification, but it will remain available until June 4, 2026. After that, affected users will be automatically migrated to device-based authentication methods such as Windows Hello.

    Additionally, in this update, the “Passwords” option will be removed from the “Clear browsing data” tab to prevent users from accidentally deleting saved account credentials when clearing browser data. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • On February 23 (local time), Anthropic posted on X alleging that DeepSeek, Moonshot AI, and MiniMax used more than 24,000 fake accounts to conduct large-scale distillation attacks on its models, generating 150,000, 3.4 million, and 13 million interactions with Claude respectively to improve their own model performance. Source
    • According to 9to5Google, Google is adjusting the experience of the built-in Google Weather service on Android. Previously, tapping the Google Weather widget would open a full-screen weather information interface that resembled a standalone app, but was actually a dedicated page within the Google app. Some users who updated the Google app have found that this weather page has been removed. Now, tapping the widget redirects directly to the Google app’s search page, where weather information is presented in card form as part of search results. In addition to traditional forecasts, air quality data, and detailed weather metrics, AI-generated forecast summaries will also be included, aligning the experience more closely with standard web search results. Notably, Pixel users are unaffected as they rely on the Pixel Weather app. Source
    • According to Game File, Tencent has shut down its TiMi Montreal studio. In addition to reports from internal sources, LinkedIn posts by former employees (now deleted) have corroborated the development. The studio was established in July 2021 with the goal of developing AAA open-world multi-platform games. Source
    • On February 23, Uber announced the acquisition of SpotHero, an app that offers parking reservation services in crowded areas. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Uber stated that it plans to integrate parking services directly into its own app. Source
    • According to Android Authority, Google is developing a facial recognition system called Project Toscana for future use on Android phones and Chromebooks. Test devices equipped with Project Toscana reportedly require only a circular camera cutout. The system is said to function reliably under varying lighting conditions, similar to Face ID, though the underlying technology remains unclear and is currently speculated to involve infrared cameras. Source
    • According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, due to the global popularity of the “Starlight Orange” color this year—especially in the Chinese market—Apple is considering introducing a deep red color option for the iPhone 18 Pro. Previous rumors of purple or brown variants may have been testing adjustments for this color. The iPhone Fold, however, is expected to avoid bold colors, offering only dark gray or black, as well as white or silver options. Source
    • Following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that most of last year’s Trump-era tariff policies were unlawful, Apple—which had previously lobbied for exemptions on many products—may now face a uniform 10% tariff, potentially higher than before. Source
    • In Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26300.7877, the Paint app (version 11.2601.391.0) introduces a free rotation feature, allowing any shape, text, or selection to be rotated at any angle. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: ByteDance Unveils Seedance 2.0 Video Creation Model, Xiaomi Launches Tag Tracker in Europe

    SSPAI Morning Brief: ByteDance Unveils Seedance 2.0 Video Creation Model, Xiaomi Launches Tag Tracker in Europe

    Morning Brief

    1. Zhipu releases and open-sources GLM-5 model
    2. CAC launches Spring Festival “Qinglang” campaign
    3. ByteDance unveils Seedance 2.0 video creation model
    4. Xiaomi Tag tracker launches in the European market
    5. eero introduces Signal 4G LTE network failover device
    6. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Zhipu releases and open-sources GLM-5 model

    On February 11, Zhipu released and open-sourced the GLM-5 model. According to reports, GLM-5 ranks 4th globally and 1st among open-source models on the Artificial Analysis leaderboard. It is positioned to move beyond traditional code generation into the “Agentic Engineering” stage, with a focus on systematic engineering comprehension and the ability to handle complex development scenarios.

    In programming and agent capability benchmarks, the model achieved state-of-the-art (SOTA) scores of 77.8 and 56.2 on SWE-bench-Verified and Terminal Bench 2.0, respectively. It also delivered the best performance among open-source models in evaluations such as BrowseComp, MCP-Atlas, τ²-Bench, and Vending Bench 2.

    The model has completed deep adaptation for multiple domestic computing platforms, including Huawei Ascend, Cambricon, Moore Threads, Kunlunxin, Enflame, MetaX, and Hygon, enabling efficient inference and deployment across diverse computing environments. Source

    In addition, Zhipu has adjusted the pricing of the GLM Coding Plan. Specifically, the first-purchase discount has been removed, while quarterly and annual subscription discounts remain available; the package pricing structure has been revised, with overall increases starting from 30%; existing subscribers will retain their current pricing. Source

    CAC launches Spring Festival “Qinglang” campaign

    On February 12, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) announced the launch of a one-month special campaign titled “Qinglang · Creating a Festive and Harmonious Online Environment for the 2026 Spring Festival,” effective immediately. The initiative will further focus on commonly used online platforms and service types during the holiday period, with an emphasis on addressing prominent issues in the online ecosystem reported by the public, in order to create a positive online environment for internet users during the Spring Festival.

    The campaign will target four main categories of issues, including maliciously inciting negative emotions, generating and spreading “digital sludge” or low-quality spam content, fabricating and disseminating false information, and directing traffic to illegal activities. In terms of maliciously inciting negative emotions, key efforts will focus on online displays of wealth under the guise of “holiday shopping” or “Spring Festival customs comparisons” that provoke social rivalry and conflict; as well as organizing or participating in online fan-circle activities tied to events such as the Spring Festival Gala, holiday film releases, or major sporting events to incite online harassment or conflict. Regarding the generation and spread of “digital sludge,” the campaign will also address the mass production of low-quality, repetitive, and logically incoherent content using new technologies such as AI. Source

    ByteDance unveils Seedance 2.0 video creation model

    On February 12, ByteDance released its next-generation video creation model, Seedance 2.0.

    According to reports, Seedance 2.0 adopts a unified multimodal audio-visual joint generation architecture that supports four types of inputs: text, images, audio, and video. It can incorporate up to nine reference images, three video clips, and three audio segments simultaneously. Compared to its predecessor, Seedance 2.0 demonstrates notable improvements in stability within complex motion scenes, physical realism, instruction adherence, and generation controllability. It also supports up to 15 seconds of multi-shot audio-visual output and features such as dual-channel immersive audio generation.

    The company stated that the model is designed for professional content production scenarios, including film and television, advertising, e-commerce, and gaming. However, issues such as insufficient detail stability, multi-subject consistency challenges, and occasional audio anomalies remain, and further alignment improvements are planned. Seedance 2.0 is now available on platforms such as Jimeng AI and Doubao, with both web and app-based access provided. Source

    Xiaomi Tag tracker launches in the European market

    On February 12, the Xiaomi Tag tracker went on sale through multiple European distributor channels and was also listed on Xiaomi’s official UK and France websites. The tracker is powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery, with an official battery life of approximately one year. It measures about 7.2 mm in thickness and features a plastic enclosure. The device supports Bluetooth 5.4 and NFC, and is compatible with Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub services, enabling cross-platform item tracking across both iOS and Android devices.

    The tracker does not currently support UWB (Ultra-Wideband) technology, though reports suggest that Xiaomi may release a UWB-enabled version in the future. In the French market, pricing is set at €17.99 for a single unit and €59.99 for a four-pack, with only a white version currently available. Source

    eero introduces Signal 4G LTE network failover device

    On February 12, eero introduced the eero Signal 4G LTE network backup device. Priced at $99.99, the device automatically switches to a cellular network when a home broadband connection is interrupted, temporarily maintaining internet access. Users need to connect the device via USB-C to an eero router that supports Wi-Fi 6 or higher; when the network goes down, the system will activate the cellular connection automatically, and revert to standby mode once connectivity is restored. The device features a built-in multi-carrier eSIM that can automatically select the best available signal from networks such as AT&T and Verizon.

    In addition to purchasing the hardware, users must subscribe to the eero Plus service to enable the cellular backup function. Two plans are currently available: $99.99 per year with 10 GB of data, or $199.99 per year with 100 GB of data. The company also stated that a 5G version priced at $199.99 will be released later this year, with plans to extend support to eero Business subscribers. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • A set of renders published by tech media outlet YtechB suggests that Samsung has adjusted the rear camera design of the Galaxy S26+ and S26 Ultra, moving from the previous independent ring-style lens layout to a camera bump similar to that of the Galaxy Z Fold7. In terms of specifications, the S26+ is said to feature a 6.7-inch display, body dimensions of 158.4 × 75.8 × 7.3 mm, a 4900mAh battery, and support for 45W fast charging. The European market version is expected to be powered by the Exynos 2600 chipset. The higher-end S26 Ultra is rumored to include a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1440 × 3120 and a 120Hz refresh rate, and is expected to be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor. It may offer 12GB and 16GB memory options, with body dimensions of 163.6 × 78.1 × 7.9 mm. Source
    • Tom’s Hardware reports that the Steam Deck OLED has sold out on the US Steam Store as well as through Komodo distribution channels in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The shortage reportedly began recently in the evening hours. The device remains available in some parts of Europe, while the Japanese channel indicates that stock is expected to be replenished in February. No restock timeline has been announced for the US store, and Valve has not responded to requests for comment as of publication. Source
    • Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, citing Apple retail channel employees, reports that iPhone 16e inventory is largely sold out, and the current iPad Air is also experiencing supply shortages. He expects Apple to release the iPhone 17e and a new iPad Air powered by the M4 chip in the coming weeks. The iPhone 17e may be announced via press release, and is expected to feature the Dynamic Island, an upgraded A19 chip, the in-house C1 5G modem, and MagSafe charging, with a starting price likely to remain at $599. Source
    • Mark Gurman also noted that next-generation Siri features originally planned for iOS 26.4 have been delayed due to newly discovered software issues during testing. These features include the ability to understand personal contextual information and proactively execute actions based on on-screen content. They are now expected to continue testing in iOS 26.5, scheduled for release in May. Apple is also reportedly testing a Perplexity-like web search tool and custom image generation features, and plans to introduce an AI chatbot version of Siri across iOS 27, iPadOS, and macOS 27. The new Siri is expected to debut at WWDC in June and launch officially in September. In a statement to CNBC, Source. Apple confirmed that the updated Siri remains on track for release within 2026. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple to Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary, WhatsApp Web Set for a Major Update

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple to Celebrate Its 50th Anniversary, WhatsApp Web Set for a Major Update

    Morning Brief

    1. Apple to Hold 50th Anniversary Celebration
    2. VSCO Relists Lightroom Presets
    3. WhatsApp Web Version to Receive a Major Update
    4. CrossOver Rolls Out Major Version Update

    Apple to Hold 50th Anniversary Celebration

    Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook said during an all-hands meeting that Apple is preparing celebrations for the company’s upcoming 50th anniversary, though specific plans have not yet been disclosed. Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, which means April 1, 2026 will mark its 50-year milestone.

    During the meeting, Cook said the team has been preparing for “how to commemorate 50 years,” reviewing company archives and old photos, as well as products, services, and key figures, and promised employees that “there will be some celebrations.” He also emphasized that Apple is not a culture that tends to look backward, noting that relevant teams need to “build a different capability” while maintaining a forward-looking pace of work in order to face the future in a better way.

    Apple has rarely conducted large-scale publicity for anniversaries in the past, but in 2014 it produced special content around the 30th anniversary of the Mac, including executive interviews and dedicated feature pages. Source

    VSCO Relists Lightroom Presets

    On February 10, the VSCO team announced that the VSCO Film 02 preset pack for Adobe Lightroom has returned for download on a “limited-time” basis, available to VSCO Pro subscribers. The preset pack includes multiple color and black-and-white styles inspired by classic film aesthetics, aiming to achieve film-like color and tonal characteristics while preserving room for RAW adjustments.

    The Film 02 preset pack supports multiple applications within the Adobe Lightroom ecosystem, including Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, and Adobe Camera Raw (Photoshop). Standard presets can be applied to camera file types supported by Adobe Lightroom, covering both RAW and JPEG, and include variants such as (+), (++), and (-) to simulate differences in contrast and tonal rendering for the same film stock.

    VSCO told media that this version of Film 02 was updated by the original preset creator and VSCO photography evangelist Zach Hodges to better support modern cameras. It is worth noting that users in the free trial period need to contact VSCO support to obtain the preset pack, as downloads are limited to active Pro monthly or annual subscriptions.

    International media also noted that VSCO stopped releasing desktop Lightroom preset updates in 2019. This limited-time return is seen as the latest move to bring part of its “film library” presets back into desktop workflows. Source

    WhatsApp Web Version to Receive a Major Update

    Recently, WhatsApp has been testing and gradually rolling out voice and video calling features for WhatsApp Web, allowing users to place and receive calls directly in the browser without installing a desktop client. This long-missing feature is seen as a major addition to WhatsApp Web. According to multiple media reports, the functionality is currently available mainly to WhatsApp Web beta users and will continue to expand to a wider audience.

    The call entry point appears at the top of one-on-one chat windows, with usage similar to the desktop version. Calls remain end-to-end encrypted and support features such as screen sharing, though at this stage the focus is on personal calls, with group calls not yet fully available.

    For users, the new feature makes WhatsApp easier to use in environments without native desktop apps, such as Linux. For business and office users, it enables seamless switching between text communication and real-time calls directly within the browser. Source

    CrossOver Rolls Out Major Version Update

    On February 10, the CodeWeavers team released CrossOver version 26. By updating Wine and graphics translation components, the release improves compatibility for several major Windows games on Mac, including 33 Immortals and Helldivers 2. CrossOver 26 also aligns with interface updates in macOS Tahoe and fixes issues related to reopening Steam after closing it.

    CrossOver 26 integrates Wine 11 with more than 6,000 changes, and includes components such as D3DMetal 3.0, DXMT v0.72, Wine Mono 10.4.1, and vkd3d 1.18 to enhance DirectX game performance on macOS. The development team’s list of fixes and newly playable titles includes a large number of recently released games.

    In terms of pricing, a promotional price of USD 54.76 is available until February 17, after which the price will increase to USD 74. System requirements include macOS 10.15 Catalina or later and at least 1GB of available disk space. The developer also notes that macOS 26 Tahoe requires CrossOver 25.1.1 or later. Source

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: OpenAI Begins Testing Ads in ChatGPT, Microsoft to Update Windows Secure Boot Certificates

    SSPAI Morning Brief: OpenAI Begins Testing Ads in ChatGPT, Microsoft to Update Windows Secure Boot Certificates

    Morning Brief

    1. Sony to Stop Shipping Blu-ray Recorders
    2. AYANEO NEXT 2 Launches Crowdfunding Campaign
    3. Razer Boomslang 20th Anniversary Edition Opens for Pre-Orders
    4. Microsoft to Update Windows Secure Boot Certificates
    5. Baidu Baike Launches International Version, BaiduWiki
    6. NIO Recalls Certain ES8, ES6, and EC6 Pure Electric Vehicles
    7. Apple Ends Support for Legacy HomeKit Architecture
    8. ChatGPT Begins Testing Ads
    9. Alibaba Releases Qwen-Image-2.0 Image Model
    10. Tencent Hunyuan Open-Sources Ultra-Lightweight On-Device Model HY-1.8B-2Bit
    11. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Sony to Stop Shipping Blu-ray Recorders

    On February 10, Sony announced on its Japanese official website that it will stop shipping all Blu-ray recorder products and clearly stated that no successor models are planned in the future. The discontinued lineup includes recent mainstream models such as the BDZ-ZW1900 and BDZ-FBT4200, marking the formal end of Sony’s home recording hardware ecosystem.

    Previously, Sony had already ceased production of Blu-ray recordable discs in February 2025, while competitor Panasonic exited the market for recording-specific optical discs in 2023. As streaming services have driven down demand for physical media, Panasonic is now the only company worldwide still maintaining the development and production of Blu-ray recording equipment. Source

    AYANEO NEXT 2 Launches Crowdfunding Campaign

    On February 10, AYANEO officially launched global pre-orders for its Windows 11 handheld NEXT 2 on Indiegogo. The device features a 9.06-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2400×1504, supports an adjustable refresh rate from 60Hz to 165Hz, and reaches a peak brightness of 1,155 nits. Processor options include AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 (8-core) and Max+ 395 (16-core) Strix Halo variants, with configurations offering up to 128GB of LPDDR5x memory and 2TB of storage. It also includes a 116.1Wh battery and a dual-fan cooling system.

    In terms of controls, the AYANEO NEXT 2 integrates adjustable-torque TMR joysticks, Hall-effect linear triggers, dual smart touchpads, and a floating eight-way D-pad. The device weighs 1,426 grams. The Polar Black colorway is the first to enter crowdfunding, with early-bird pricing starting at USD 1,799 and topping out at USD 3,499 for the highest configuration. Shipments are expected to begin in June 2026. Source

    Razer Boomslang 20th Anniversary Edition Opens for Pre-Orders

    On February 10, Razer officially opened limited pre-orders for the Boomslang 20th Anniversary Edition. Only 1,337 units will be produced worldwide, each with an individual serial number, and priced at USD 1,337.

    This commemorative reissue retains the classic ambidextrous symmetrical design of the original model. Internally, it is equipped with a 45,000 DPI optical sensor (Focus Pro 45K Gen-2), Gen-4 optical switches, and wireless connectivity with an 8,000Hz polling rate. It features PU leather button surfaces and a nine-zone Chroma RGB underglow. The package includes a dedicated wireless charging dock (Mouse Dock Pro), glass mouse feet, and an LED-lit display case showcasing the mouse’s internal components in a disassembled layout. Pre-orders in the United States begin at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on February 10, while Asia and Europe will open at 8:00 a.m. local time on February 11. Source

    Microsoft to Update Windows Secure Boot Certificates

    On February 10, Microsoft began a phased update of Secure Boot digital certificates for Windows 11 and for Windows 10 users enrolled in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. The update is intended to replace the original certificates introduced in 2011, which are set to expire in June 2026, ensuring that devices can continue to verify the legitimacy of Windows bootloaders, firmware drivers, and third-party boot programs during startup. The change affects more than one billion Windows devices worldwide. Devices that fail to complete the update before expiration may not only be unable to ensure system security or receive future boot-level vulnerability patches, but may also encounter issues with anti-cheat software that relies on mandatory Secure Boot verification. Microsoft stated that most devices manufactured after 2024 already come preinstalled with the new certificates, while other compliant devices can obtain them automatically via Windows Update. Certain specific models may require firmware updates provided by OEMs to complete the transition. Source

    Baidu Baike Launches International Version, BaiduWiki

    On February 10, Baidu Baike officially launched its international edition, BaiduWiki, initially supporting five languages: English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese. This version leverages multiple AI agent models to translate Chinese-language content with established strengths into multiple languages, covering features such as video, text-and-image entries, and relationships between people. Currently, one million entries have gone live. Source

    NIO Recalls Certain ES8, ES6, and EC6 Pure Electric Vehicles

    According to information from China’s State Administration for Market Regulation, Shanghai NIO Automobile Co., Ltd. (NIO) has recently filed a recall with the authority, covering a total of 246,229 ES8, ES6, and EC6 pure electric vehicles produced between March 16, 2018, and January 16, 2023. Vehicles within the scope of the recall may, due to a software defect, experience brief black screens on the instrument cluster and center display under specific conditions, resulting in the loss of speed display, fault warnings, and defogging/defrosting functions. To address this safety risk, the company will push system updates free of charge via over-the-air (OTA) updates, including Aspen 3.5.6, Alder 2.1.0, or later versions. Vehicles that cannot be updated via OTA will be contacted by service centers for in-store handling, while vehicles that have already been updated to subsequent optimized versions do not require further action. Source

    Apple Ends Support for Legacy HomeKit Architecture

    On February 10, 2026, Apple officially ended support for the original HomeKit architecture. As a result, smart home devices that have not been upgraded to the new Apple Home may no longer function properly in the Home app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch.

    The new HomeKit architecture is based on a low-level overhaul introduced with iOS 16.4 in 2023, aiming to improve performance and reliability while adding compatibility with the Matter standard. It requires controllers to run iOS 16.2, macOS 13.1, watchOS 9.2, or later. At the same time, support for using an iPad as a Home Hub has been removed, and users must instead rely on a HomePod or Apple TV for remote control and automation tasks. Source

    ChatGPT Begins Testing Ads

    On February 9, OpenAI announced that it has begun testing advertising for ChatGPT in the U.S. market, targeting users of the free version of ChatGPT as well as those on the USD 8-per-month ChatGPT Go subscription plan. Ads are matched based on conversation topics, user history, and interaction preferences (for example, grocery delivery services linked to recipe searches). An exclusion zone is enforced for users under 18, and ads are strictly prohibited near sensitive topics such as health, politics, and mental health. From a technical standpoint, ads will be clearly separated from native content through explicit sponsorship labels. OpenAI states that ads do not affect generation results and that no private conversation data is shared with advertisers.

    It is worth noting that after the ad plan was announced earlier, Anthropic publicly mocked it in a Super Bowl advertisement. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman later issued a public rebuttal, accusing competitors of being “dishonest.” Source

    Alibaba Releases Qwen-Image-2.0 Image Model

    On February 10, Alibaba released Qwen-Image-2.0, a foundation model that integrates image generation and editing. The model supports ultra-long text inputs of over 1K tokens and high-resolution outputs up to 2K. In AI Arena evaluations, it scored 1029 in image generation (third globally) and 1034 in image editing (second only to Nano Banana Pro). In terms of technical capabilities, Qwen-Image-2.0 supports precise rendering of Chinese characters across varying text lengths, complex diagram generation for PPTs and academic papers, and multi-panel comic creation. It also allows users to upload multiple images for nine-grid selfie compositions or creative style rewrites.

    Generated output examples

    Alibaba Cloud Bailian has opened an API preview, and users can try the model for free via the Qwen Chat official website. Source

    Tencent Hunyuan Open-Sources Ultra-Lightweight On-Device Model HY-1.8B-2Bit

    On February 10, Tencent Hunyuan introduced HY-1.8B-2Bit, an ultra-lightweight AI model designed for consumer-grade hardware scenarios. The model is based on the industry’s first production-ready 2-bit on-device quantization scheme. It is produced from HY-1.8B-Instruct through quantization-aware training (QAT), with an effective parameter size of just 0.3B, storage usage of approximately 300MB (under bf16 pseudo-quantized weights), and runtime memory usage of about 600MB. In terms of technical specifications, the model supports switching between long and short chains of thought depending on task complexity, and delivers a 2–3× generation speed increase over the original full-precision model on mobile platforms such as the Dimensity 9500 and MacBook M4 (with Arm SME2 support).

    The HY-1.8B-2Bit model weights have now been open-sourced on Hugging Face and GitHub in formats including GGUF-int2. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • According to the latest video released by AYANEO, its slide-up gaming phone Pocket Play will feature a 6.8-inch FHD+ (2400×1080) OLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate, powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9300 processor, paired with LPDDR5 memory and UFS 4.0 storage. The device is said to include a 5,000mAh battery with fast charging support, as well as a 50MP main camera and a 16MP ultra-wide camera. However, pricing and an official release date have not yet been disclosed. Source
    • Citing test data from the Hardware Canucks channel, WCCFTech reports that Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X2 Elite processor has surpassed Apple’s M5 chip in early multi-core and productivity benchmarks, although its single-core performance under peak power conditions still lags behind. Source
    • According to information shared by well-known leaker billbil-kun, the Sony WF-1000XM6 will be equipped with a new QN3e processor offering triple the processing speed of the previous WF-1000XM5. It will integrate a total of eight microphones to enhance active noise cancellation (ANC), along with new speaker units, an improved DAC, and an enhanced amplifier. On the software side, the equalizer will be upgraded from five to ten adjustable bands. Source

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Linux Kernel 6.19 Officially Released, EU Raises Antitrust Concerns Over Meta’s AI Restrictions

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Linux Kernel 6.19 Officially Released, EU Raises Antitrust Concerns Over Meta’s AI Restrictions

    Morning Brief

    1. Tianya Community Announces Its Return
    2. Discord will enable Youth Mode by default for all accounts.
    3. Linux Kernel 6.19 Official Release
    4. Intel Abandons Hardware-Based Paid Unlock Model
    5. WeChat Platform Launches Pilot Program for Graded Classification of Staged Content
    6. EU Warns Meta That Blocking Third-Party AI Assistants May Constitute Monopoly Practices
    7. Apple Swift Student Challenge Opens for Applications
    8. Inter-Ministerial Office for Coordinated Regulation of New Transportation Business Models Summons Amap Ride-Hailing
    9. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Tianya Community Announces Its Return

    According to an announcement released on February 6 by the WeChat public account “Tianya Guest,” Tianya Community has announced that it will relaunch after being shut down for nearly three years, with plans to restore access on June 1. The announcement stated that liquidity difficulties led Tianya Community to suspend access starting April 1, 2023, due to unpaid telecom IDC fees, putting Tianya’s data at risk of permanent loss. In 2024, a new investment entity, “Chengdu Tianya Guest Network Technology Co., Ltd.,” was established specifically for this purpose and has become the core force behind the platform’s relaunch and the construction of the new Tianya. The company has already invested millions of yuan to support the preservation of Tianya Community’s data. With the consent of Tianya Community Co., it has also launched the “New Tianya Founding Members Product Service Package,” recruiting 9,999 founding members to become co-builders of the new Tianya and participants in the platform’s revival. The service package includes a Tianya Relauncher digital badge, a Tianya Guest premium membership gift box, 10 years of free access to the official Tianya Classic Threads paid section, Tianya Metaspace, preferential discounts for a 10-year Tianya Guest premium membership, and 1,999 Tianya Gold Beans. The package is limited to 9,999 units and priced at RMB 1,999 per unit, with all proceeds to be used for data preservation, restoration of access, and the implementation of subsequent New Tianya plans. Source

    Discord will enable Youth Mode by default for all accounts.

    On February 9, Discord announced that it will strengthen protections for teenagers worldwide. Starting in March, Discord will gradually roll out age verification processes for both new and existing users, including methods such as on-device video-based age estimation. Users who do not complete adult age verification will have Minor Mode enabled by default. This mode includes restrictions on accessing age-restricted channels and content, filtering one-on-one direct messages from strangers, warnings for friend requests from unknown users, and disabling speaking privileges in Stage channels. At the same time, Discord will recruit a Discord Teen Council, working with 10 to 12 teenagers to discuss future features and improve the experience for younger users. Source

    It is worth noting that these measures quickly sparked dissatisfaction within the gaming community. In October last year, an age verification service provider partnered with Discord suffered a data breach, during which hackers stole identity document information belonging to more than 70,000 users in the United Kingdom and Australia. Source

    Linux Kernel 6.19 Official Release

    Linus Torvalds recently announced the official release of Linux Kernel 6.19, while also opening the merge window for Linux Kernel 7.0—meaning Linux Kernel 6.19 is the final release in the Linux Kernel 6.x series. This update brings changes across multiple areas of the kernel, including low-level security architecture, network protocols, file systems, and the graphics pipeline.

    On the security side, additions include linear address space isolation, PCIe link encryption and authentication, Arm MPAM, and user-space UML multiprocessor support. In terms of hardware support, the kernel adds native management support for USB-C ports on Apple Macs powered by M-series chips, early support for Intel Nova Lake desktop and mobile processors as well as Intel Xe3-LPG GPUs, official support for the LoongArch32 sub-architecture, new support for the Logitech G13 gaming keypad and the G PRO X Superlight 2 receiver, and GPU support for Adreno 612 and Mali-G1. For users of Linux distributions, these updates will arrive once maintainers complete their adaptations. Advanced users can also choose to compile the new kernel themselves. Source

    Intel Abandons Hardware-Based Paid Unlock Model

    Recently, some media outlets noticed that Intel’s SDSi GitHub project has been archived, indicating that the feature has been officially abandoned. Related pages have also been removed from Intel’s official website, with only a few older PDF documents still accessible. In 2021, Intel introduced a feature called Software Defined Silicon (SDSi), which was designed to activate additional licensed hardware capabilities. Subsequently, development and support for Software Defined Silicon continued and was eventually released under the name Intel On Demand. Its core concept was that users could pay to unlock additional accelerator features that were already integrated into certain processor models but disabled by default, primarily targeting Xeon processors. From the moment it was introduced, this model drew widespread criticism, and Intel has since refrained from publicly discussing On Demand–related updates. Source

    WeChat Platform Launches Pilot Program for Graded Classification of Staged Content

    On February 9, WeChat Coral Security released a phased governance announcement regarding staged and misleading videos, stating that the platform has launched a pilot program for the graded and categorized management of staged content that is not labeled as “scripted dramatization.” As part of this effort, supplementary labeling prompts have been added to more than 30,000 existing videos. The scope of this governance initiative primarily covers life tips, safety knowledge (such as anti-fraud demonstrations), as well as fictional story scenarios involving comedy, emotional themes, and workplace settings. At the same time, the platform has officially implemented a graded classification and labeling system for “scripted dramatization,” proactively reminding more than 50,000 creators to standardize their labeling practices and improve content transparency. Source

    EU Warns Meta That Blocking Third-Party AI Assistants May Constitute Monopoly Practices

    On February 9, the European Commission announced that it has sent a statement of objections to Meta. The statement指出 that Meta’s practice of blocking third-party AI assistants on WhatsApp—allowing only Meta AI—violates EU antitrust regulations. The Commission indicated that it may adopt interim measures to prevent the blocking from causing serious harm to the market, while still respecting Meta’s right to respond and defend itself. On October 15, 2025, Meta updated the terms of WhatsApp Business Solutions to completely ban third-party general-purpose AI assistants from the app. By January 15, 2026, the only AI assistant available on WhatsApp will be Meta’s own Meta AI. Source

    Apple Swift Student Challenge Opens for Applications

    The Swift Student Challenge opened for applications on February 6, with a submission deadline of February 28, Pacific Time. The competition is open to students who are developing software development skills. Participants from mainland China must be aged 14 or above, be registered with Apple as a free Apple Developer or be a member of the Apple Developer Program, and meet one of the following requirements:

    • Currently enrolled in, or having graduated within the past 90 days from, a recognized academic institution, an equivalent accredited homeschool, or an Apple Developer Academy;
    • Currently enrolled in an educational program of a STEM organization; or
    • Graduated from high school or an equivalent institution within the past six months and either awaiting admission to, or already admitted by, a recognized academic institution.

    Participants are required to submit an App Playground that can be experienced within three minutes. For more details, see the source. Source

    Inter-Ministerial Office for Coordinated Regulation of New Transportation Business Models Summons Amap Ride-Hailing

    On February 9, the Ministry of Transport announced that the Inter-Ministerial Joint Conference Office for Coordinated Regulation of New Transportation Business Models has organized a regulatory meeting with Amap Ride-Hailing. The meeting pointed out issues including inadequate management of partner ride-hailing platforms, fare suppression, and improper emergency response. The office required Amap Ride-Hailing to strengthen supervision and management of partner platforms, standardize platform operations, safeguard drivers’ legitimate rights and interests, enhance operational safety oversight, and improve care and support for drivers. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • Earlier this month on the 5th, the DRM-free digital game distribution platform GOG held an AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) session on Reddit, responding to a series of questions from forum users. GOG’s current owner, Michał Kiciński (@Worth_Technology_415), officially confirmed information previously revealed in a job listing: GOG is hiring a senior engineer to help develop first-party native Linux support. The Linux support project is already underway and is expected to eventually launch on the platform. At the same time, GOG is porting games on its Dreamlist that previously supported only console platforms to PC, further improving its first-party launcher GOG Galaxy, and increasing transparency around game release plans on the GOG platform. Source
    • Microsoft has issued further clarification regarding the recent official deprecation of legacy-architecture V3/V4 printer drivers in Windows 11. Printers using V3/V4 drivers will not stop working. For many years, Microsoft has been gradually discontinuing support for third-party V3/V4 drivers. After January 15, 2026, Microsoft will no longer distribute new V3/V4-based printer drivers via Windows Update for Windows 11 and later versions, as well as Windows Server 2025 and later. In other words, printers will continue to function normally if users manually install manufacturer-provided V3 or V4 drivers, but any security risks involved will be borne by the users themselves. Source
    • The LibreOffice development organization, The Document Foundation (TDF), has once again published a statement criticizing Microsoft’s OOXML format as being designed entirely around Microsoft’s commercial interests. The organization argues that the specification is lengthy and complex, that Microsoft itself does not strictly adhere to its own standard in its products, and that the format is neither open nor neutral. Source
    • Related reading: Is Microsoft deliberately undermining competition through Office file formats? | SSPAI Member π+Prime
    • Image-sharing community Flickr has confirmed that, following an attack on email service Substack on February 5, Flickr experienced a data breach of undisclosed scope. Affected users may have had information such as names, usernames, email addresses, account IPs, and common locations exposed via phishing emails, but passwords and financial information were not involved. Flickr has advised users to remain vigilant against phishing emails. Source
    • CNBC reports that companies including Microsoft and Google have offered as much as USD 400,000 to 600,000 in attempts to secure long-term promotional partnerships with social media creators for AI tools, but many creators declined due to strong audience backlash. Source
    • YouTube Music has begun placing lyrics behind its Premium subscription, with non-subscribers able to view lyrics for only five songs. Source
    • Ferrari has unveiled the interior and human–machine interface design of its first electric sports car, Luce. The design was created by Jony Ive, Marc Newson, and design firm LoveFrom. The interior does not rely on an all-touchscreen approach, instead retaining a large number of physical controls for ease of operation. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Google Expands AirDrop Support Beyond Pixel Devices

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Google Expands AirDrop Support Beyond Pixel Devices

    Morning Brief

    1. Qwen’s “milk tea subsidy” causes online service outages and an offline order boom
    2. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation releases typical cases of unfair competition involving knockoff DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and others
    3. China Railway 12306 responds to issues such as “buying longer routes to ride shorter segments” and being unable to purchase transfer tickets
    4. Google to extend AirDrop support to non-Pixel devices
    5. “Trump Phone” debuts its first real-world prototype
    6. Draft national standard for pre-prepared meals released for public comment; disclosure not made mandatory
    7. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Qwen’s “milk tea subsidy” causes online service outages and an offline order boom

    According to Caixin, on February 6, Alibaba’s AI chat app Qwen launched the first wave of its “3 billion yuan Spring Festival treat plan.” Under the promotion, users who updated Qwen to the latest version or invited a new friend received a ¥25 milk tea free-order voucher, redeemable at more than 300,000 milk tea shops nationwide.

    That day, Qwen’s downloads surged rapidly, climbing to No. 1 on Apple’s China App Store free apps chart, followed by Tencent’s AI app Yuanbao in second place and ByteDance’s AI app Doubao in third. Five hours after launch, the promotion had generated 5 million orders; after nine hours, the figure exceeded 10 million. As a result, many participating milk tea shops across multiple regions were overwhelmed with orders, with user wait times exceeding four hours. Some shops temporarily shut down online ordering. Meanwhile, Qwen experienced lag and intermittent disruptions, at times affecting responses to users’ other requests. This triggered a wave of complaints on social platforms about the promotion.

    In response, around 10:30 a.m., Qwen said it was “urgently adding resources to fully ensure smooth operation.” Around 4:30 p.m., it said it was continuing to expand capacity to safeguard the promotion experience. Qwen also noted that the free-order vouchers are valid through February 23 and recommended placing orders during off-peak hours. In addition to milk tea, the vouchers can be used to purchase fresh groceries, general merchandise, Lunar New Year goods from Tmall Supermarket and offline retailers. Hema stores nationwide are also in the process of joining the program.

    Shortly after the promotion went live, Qwen’s red-packet sharing links were blocked by WeChat. The text codes could not be copied for use, leaving QR code images as the only way to share the offer. WeChat also imposed restrictions on red-packet code sharing for Yuanbao, another Tencent product.

    Since the start of this year, AI apps have begun to recreate the early mobile internet playbook of user acquisition through cash giveaways. On February 1, Tencent’s Yuanbao announced it would distribute ¥1 billion in cash red packets, with individual packets worth up to ¥10,000. On January 26, Baidu’s AI app Wenxin Assistant launched a Spring Festival red-packet campaign, handing out ¥500 million in cash rewards, with a maximum single reward of ¥10,000.

    China’s State Administration for Market Regulation releases typical cases of unfair competition involving knockoff DeepSeek, ChatGPT, and others

    Recently, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation released five typical cases of unfair competition in the artificial intelligence sector, several of which involved the misuse of well-known AI service names.

    For example, a Beijing-based company promoted software branded as a “DeepSeek local deployment tool” through its website, using the name “DeepSeek” and the official logo in multiple places on the page, and purchasing paid search rankings for the keyword “DeepSeek.” Regulators determined that this behavior violated the Interim Provisions on the Prohibition of Unfair Competition on the Internet and the Anti-Unfair Competition Law. The company was ordered to immediately cease the illegal conduct and, after considering the circumstances of the case, was fined 5,000 yuan. Similarly, a Hangzhou-based company that set up a “DeepSeek local deployment” website, used wording identical to DeepSeek’s official branding and highly similar icons, and induced users to pay for the service, was also ordered to stop its activities and fined 30,000 yuan.

    In another case, a Shanghai-based company developed and operated a WeChat public account named “ChatGPT Online,” which offered AI chat functionality and generated revenue by attracting paid members. An investigation found that the service actually called OpenAI’s publicly available APIs, connecting to its underlying base models to provide services similar to ChatGPT. The company used an image highly similar to the official branding as the account’s avatar and described the account as a “Chinese version of ChatGPT” in its profile, creating confusion with ChatGPT. Regulators ruled that this likewise constituted a violation of the Anti-Unfair Competition Law, ordered the company to cease the illegal conduct, and imposed a fine of 62,692.7 yuan after weighing the circumstances.

    The State Administration for Market Regulation stated that handling these cases is intended to serve as a warning against confusing practices, guide business operators to enhance competitiveness through lawful and compliant means, prevent the improper appropriation of others’ goodwill for profit, and safeguard fairness and integrity in market competition.

    China Railway 12306 responds to issues such as “buying longer routes to ride shorter segments” and being unable to purchase transfer tickets

    Since the start of the Spring Festival travel rush ticketing period, several issues related to ticket purchases on the 12306 platform have sparked discussion. Recently, many passengers found that when planning a transfer journey, if the ticket for the first leg is purchased using the “buy longer, ride shorter” approach—getting off before the ticketed destination—then when attempting to buy the ticket for the second leg, 12306 will determine that the previous train has not yet completed its journey, classify the situation as a “schedule conflict,” and refuse the purchase.

    In response, railway authorities told China Business Network (Zhongxin Jingwei) that this measure is mainly intended to “avoid travel disruptions caused by passengers mistakenly or incorrectly purchasing tickets.” Given the realities of the Spring Festival travel rush, if passengers encounter such issues, they can call the 12306 customer service hotline. Railway staff will then assess the specific situation and temporarily unlock the restriction in the system to allow the purchase of the subsequent transfer ticket. However, 12306 currently only accepts unlock requests after a time conflict has occurred and does not support “advance unlocking.”

    The rule that “after canceling ticket orders three times, no further ticket purchases are allowed on the same day” has also drawn attention. Some comments have called for greater flexibility during the Spring Festival travel period, while others have expressed concern that buying tickets on someone else’s behalf could trigger the restriction. One joke making the rounds said, “Use your ex’s ID to book tickets on 12306, cancel three times, and that day they won’t be able to buy a ticket home for the New Year.”

    In response, railway authorities told The Beijing News that the purpose of this requirement on the 12306 platform is to regulate ticketing order and curb malicious ticket hoarding and automated scalping. It is not a new policy introduced this year, but one that has been in place for many years. Passengers with urgent ticketing needs can ask friends to purchase tickets on their behalf, switch to another account themselves, or buy tickets in person at station counters. At the same time, the rule restricts the ticket-purchasing privileges of the account used to make the bookings, not the passenger’s right to travel—meaning that in such situations, the passenger can still purchase tickets and travel normally.

    Google to extend AirDrop support to non-Pixel devices

    According to Android Authority, Google has confirmed that Quick Share—the Android feature designed to interoperate with Apple’s AirDrop—will break its Pixel 10 series exclusivity later this year and expand to more Android devices. Android Platform Engineering Vice President Eric Kay announced the plan at a press briefing in Taipei, saying Google is working closely with partners to roll out the feature across the broader Android ecosystem, with more details expected to be announced soon.

    Kay revealed that the development team invested significant effort to ensure Quick Share works not only with iPhones, but also connects smoothly with iPads and MacBooks. Previously, the interoperability feature debuted last year as one of the key selling points of the Pixel 10 lineup. To enable wider adoption, Google has decoupled Quick Share components from the system layer and upgraded them into a standalone APK with an independent Play Store listing, technically removing the dependency on Pixel hardware.

    On the manufacturer side, in addition to Google’s own devices, Nothing is currently the only phone brand to publicly confirm it is adapting the feature. Meanwhile, Qualcomm has recently hinted that it is working to enable similar Pixel 10–style AirDrop support on Snapdragon-powered phones. This suggests that a large number of mainstream Android devices may soon be able to transfer files directly with Apple devices.

    “Trump Phone” debuts its first real-world prototype

    According to The Verge, Trump Mobile, the manufacturer behind the “Trump Phone,” recently showcased the first physical unit of its debut smartphone, the T1, in an interview. The company revealed that the device has already received certification from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is expected to complete carrier network certification with T-Mobile by mid-March, after which shipments will officially begin.

    The final version of the T1 differs significantly from the originally announced specifications. The new model will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7-series processor, a 6.78-inch curved display, a 5,000mAh battery, and 512GB of storage. Both the front and rear main cameras have been upgraded to 50 megapixels, with the addition of an ultra-wide lens. In terms of design, the phone retains its signature gold finish and the U.S. flag motif on the bottom of the chassis, but the originally planned T1 branding has been removed, and the camera module has been redesigned into a vertically aligned black oval layout.

    With the upgraded specifications, pricing has also been adjusted. Customers who previously placed a preorder with a $100 deposit will still be eligible for the $499 “early adopter” price, but the retail price for later sales will increase, with the final price expected to remain below $1,000. The company explained that the multiple delays were intended to skip the originally planned entry-level model and instead launch a more fully featured, improved device directly to the market.

    Regarding one of the brand’s core selling points—its place of manufacture—Trump Mobile acknowledged that the T1 is not entirely made in the United States. Most of the phone’s production takes place in a certain “most-favored nation,” though explicitly not China, with only the final assembly of around ten components completed in Miami. To comply with U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations, the slogan on the official website has been changed from “Made in the USA” to “Behind every device are American hands.”

    Draft national standard for pre-prepared meals released for public comment; disclosure not made mandatory

    According to Caixin, on February 6 the Food Safety Standards and Monitoring Evaluation Department of the National Health Commission released a draft for public comment of the National Food Safety Standard for Pre-Prepared Meals. This marks the first time a national-level standard for pre-prepared meals has been issued.

    The Standard first clarifies the definition of pre-prepared meals: prepackaged dish products made from edible agricultural products and their processed derivatives, without the addition of preservatives, and produced through industrial pre-processing (such as mixing, marinating, tumbling, forming, stir-frying, deep-frying, baking, boiling, steaming, etc.), with or without seasoning packets, that must be heated or cooked before consumption. Pre-prepared meals do not include staple foods, fresh-cut vegetables, ready-to-eat foods, or dishes prepared by central kitchens. Under this definition, dishes produced by the “central kitchens” of some chain restaurants and airlines for centralized production and distribution, uncooked salads and cold dishes, as well as products like candied fruits that often contain preservatives such as potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate, do not fall under the category of pre-prepared meals.

    The Standard emphasizes that preservatives must not be added during the production and processing of pre-prepared meals. Food additives may be used only as necessary, following the principle of “no addition unless necessary,” minimizing both the variety and quantity of additives used, and they must not be used for the purpose of adulteration, falsification, or deception. The Standard also notes that reasonable combinations of different ingredients and appropriate cooking methods should be used to maintain the nutritional characteristics of dishes. It encourages shortening shelf life as much as possible by optimizing production processes and storage and transportation methods, with a maximum shelf life not exceeding 12 months.

    Under the Standard, catering businesses are encouraged to inform consumers about the use of pre-prepared meals made with different pre-processing methods when such products are used. In other words, it does not impose a mandatory requirement for restaurants to explicitly disclose the use of pre-prepared meals to consumers.

    Previously, Luo Yonghao criticized chain restaurants such as Xibei in 2025, saying they were expensive, unpalatable, and relied on pre-prepared meals, and called on restaurants to make public disclosures if they used such products. In response, Xibei founder Jia Guolong strongly defended the company and adopted measures such as opening up its kitchens to the public, but this only drew the brand further into public controversy.

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • According to Weibo user @Digital Chat Station, the iPhone is currently testing a variable-aperture main camera and a large-aperture telephoto lens.
    • According to Mark Gurman, Apple is expected to roll out a flurry of new hardware products over the coming weeks, including the iPhone 17e (powered by the same A19 chip as the iPhone 17 and priced at $599), an iPad (upgraded to A18 and gaining Apple Intelligence support for the first time), an iPad Air (upgraded to M4), as well as a new low-cost MacBook.
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Mistral Unveils Voxtral Transcribe 2, a New Speech-to-Text AI Model

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Mistral Unveils Voxtral Transcribe 2, a New Speech-to-Text AI Model

    Morning Brief

    1. Mistral releases the Voxtral Transcribe 2 series of speech-to-text models
    2. Canon launches a limited edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera
    3. The maintainer of the sudo project publicly seeks sponsorship
    4. Microsoft deprecates the “3D Viewer” app
    5. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Mistral releases the Voxtral Transcribe 2 series of speech-to-text models

    Mistral AI announced on February 4 the release of two models in the Voxtral Transcribe 2 series: Voxtral Mini Transcribe V2, designed for batch processing, and Voxtral Realtime, built for real-time transcription. Among them, Voxtral Realtime has been open-sourced under the Apache 2.0 license.

    Voxtral Realtime features a 4B parameter scale and is designed for low-latency use cases. It adopts a new streaming architecture that enables live transcription while reducing end-to-end latency to under 200 ms. Voxtral Mini Transcribe V2 focuses on delivering a high cost-performance transcription API, with accuracy outperforming GPT-4o mini Transcribe and Gemini 2.5 Flash, and supports processing up to three hours of audio per request.

    Both models support 13 languages, including Chinese. In terms of pricing, the Voxtral Mini Transcribe V2 API is priced at USD 0.003 per minute, while Voxtral Realtime costs USD 0.006 per minute. Source

    Canon launches a limited edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera

    Canon announced on February 5 a limited edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the PowerShot series. Priced at USD 1,299, the bundle includes a limited-edition Peak Design wrist strap and a 32GB SD card, with shipments scheduled to begin in April 2026.

    This limited edition retains the same core specifications as the PowerShot G7 X Mark III originally released nearly seven years ago, with the primary differences focusing on appearance and design details. The camera comes in a graphite gray finish, adds a knurled control ring on the front, and features a 30th-anniversary emblem. In terms of hardware, it is equipped with a 20.1-megapixel sensor, a 3-inch flip-up touchscreen, and a 24–100mm equivalent ƒ/1.8–2.8 lens, along with a dedicated microphone input. For video, it supports uncropped 4K at 30fps and 1080p slow motion at 120fps, and also allows direct live streaming to YouTube via Wi-Fi. Source

    The maintainer of the sudo project publicly seeks sponsorship

    On February 4, Todd C. Miller, the maintainer of the sudo project, announced that he is publicly seeking sponsorship for sudo. Miller has been solely responsible for maintaining the project since 1993. Previously, Quest Software had sponsored sudo starting in 2010, but that partnership ended in February 2024, roughly coinciding with Miller’s departure from its subsidiary One Identity.

    After losing corporate sponsorship, sudo has continued to receive updates and has patched several high-severity vulnerabilities, including issues that allowed local users to bypass privilege controls and directly obtain root access. Miller stated that he currently has no plans to hand the project over to others, but warned that a prolonged lack of stable funding would inevitably affect development progress. He also noted that much of the critical open-source infrastructure relies too heavily on a small number of maintainers—a structural problem that is increasingly threatening the broader computing ecosystem, and one that has been widely discussed in recent years across communities and public forums such as GitHub. Source

    Microsoft deprecates the “3D Viewer” app

    Microsoft announced on February 5 that the “3D Viewer” app has been added to its deprecation list. The app was previously preinstalled with Windows 10 and was designed for lightweight viewing and rendering of 3D models. It was originally positioned to support mixed reality scenarios and underwent several name changes over the years. Microsoft has confirmed that the app will be removed from the Microsoft Store starting July 1, 2026. Existing users will still be able to run it, but it will no longer receive feature updates or security maintenance.

    Microsoft recommends alternatives such as Babylon.js Sandbox, while the open-source community tends to favor local applications like F3D and MeshLab. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • Reports indicate that macOS 26.3 RC has added two new SoC identifiers, T6051 and T6052, associated with platform codes H17C and H17D, respectively. Based on Apple’s historical numbering conventions for its M-series chips, these identifiers are widely speculated to correspond to the upcoming M5 Max and M5 Ultra. Notably, however, no identifiers believed to belong to the M5 Pro have appeared so far. Source
    • Google officially announced the Pixel 10a smartphone on February 5. Positioned for budget-conscious users, the device is scheduled to launch on February 18. Google has not yet disclosed detailed hardware specifications. In terms of design, the Pixel 10a closely resembles the Pixel 9a, with the most notable change being a rear camera module that sits flush with the back panel rather than protruding. According to previously leaked information, the phone may feature a 6.3-inch 120Hz display, a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide lens, and an “enhanced” Tensor G4 chip paired with 8GB of RAM. Storage options are expected to include 128GB and 256GB variants. The battery capacity is rumored to be around 5,100mAh, with support for 23W wired charging. Source
    • According to The Information, rising memory prices across the industry have led to tighter supply, while NVIDIA has been prioritizing manufacturing capacity for AI chips. As a result, the launch of the RTX 50 series SUPER graphics cards is expected to be delayed. Under these circumstances, the next-generation RTX 60 series aimed at gamers is also likely to see its mass production timeline pushed back, with large-scale manufacturing now projected to begin toward the end of 2027. This suggests that the RTX 60 series may not reach the market until 2028 or even later. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: xAI Launches Grok Imagine 1.0, Expanding Its Generative AI Capabilities

    SSPAI Morning Brief: xAI Launches Grok Imagine 1.0, Expanding Its Generative AI Capabilities

    Morning Brief

    1. iQOO launches its flagship performance phone, the 15 Ultra
    2. xAI releases Grok Imagine 1.0
    3. Alibaba Cloud Qwen team releases Qwen3-Coder-Next
    4. Apple reminds users to upgrade the Home app
    5. Microsoft to discontinue standalone OneDrive business subscriptions
    6. Adobe cancels plans to discontinue Animate

    iQOO launches its flagship performance phone, the 15 Ultra

    On February 4, the iQOO brand officially unveiled its performance-focused Ultra flagship, the iQOO 15 Ultra. Aimed at gamers and creators, the device is enhanced across four key areas—performance, controls, live streaming, and design—and comes in two color options: 2077 (Black) and 2049 (Silver).

    The iQOO 15 Ultra is powered by the fifth-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, paired with LPDDR5X Ultra Pro memory and UFS 4.1 storage, offering configurations up to 24GB + 1TB. For cooling, it features a custom Ice Dome air-cooling system that combines airflow channels with an extra-large VC, along with the in-house esports chip Q3, enabling full-scene ray tracing, 2K native-resolution upscaling, and 120FPS frame interpolation. The display is a 2K Samsung “Zhufeng” panel supporting a dynamic refresh rate from 1 to 144Hz, with peak brightness reaching 8000 nits and Dolby Vision certification.

    In terms of controls, the iQOO 15 Ultra adopts a system-level ultra-sensory control framework that integrates pressure-sensitive shoulder buttons, a gyroscope, and touch input. It also debuts the Warhammer MAX dual-axis haptic motors, paired with dual speakers and Dolby Atmos. The phone packs a 7400mAh Blue Ocean battery, supports IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance, and includes Wi-Fi 7, an ultrasonic 3D fingerprint sensor, and support for 31 5G bands, including n79.

    For imaging, the device features a rear triple-camera setup with three 50MP sensors and a 32MP front-facing camera. Both the main camera and the periscope telephoto support CIPA 4.5-level stabilization, and the system is powered by the NICE 3.0 imaging algorithm and the Magic 2.0 image restoration engine. Pricing starts at RMB 5,499 for the 16GB + 256GB version during the initial sales period (February 4 to February 12), with the 16GB + 512GB variant priced at RMB 5,999. Higher-end options include 16GB + 1TB at RMB 6,999 and 24GB + 1TB at RMB 7,699. Source

    xAI releases Grok Imagine 1.0

    On February 2, the xAI team announced the release of its video generation tool Grok Imagine 1.0, describing it as the company’s “largest upgrade to date.” According to xAI, the new version has begun rolling out more broadly, and users can try it via the Imagine page on grok.com.

    Grok Imagine 1.0 is xAI’s audio-and-video generative foundation model. It currently supports generating short videos of up to 10 seconds in length at a maximum resolution of 720p, and it “significantly improves” audio capabilities, with an emphasis on producing richer speech and soundtrack effects. Source

    Alibaba Cloud Qwen team releases Qwen3-Coder-Next

    On February 4, Alibaba Qwen announced the release of Qwen3-Coder-Next, an open-weight language model purpose-built for coding agents and local development. The model is built on Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Base and adopts a new architecture that combines hybrid attention with Mixture-of-Experts (MoE). Through large-scale executable task synthesis, environment interaction, and reinforcement learning for agent training, the model delivers strong programming and agent capabilities while significantly reducing inference costs.

    Qwen3-Coder-Next is now available on ModelScope and Hugging Face. Source

    Apple reminds users to upgrade the Home app

    Recently, Apple sent a notice to Apple Home users, reminding them to complete an upgrade of the Home app by February 10, 2026. Users who do not complete the upgrade may encounter issues with smart accessories and automation scenes failing to run properly, and may even be unable to access their smart home devices within the app.

    In addition, users who do not upgrade will be unable to use new features such as robot vacuum support, and will miss out on important security patches and performance optimizations.

    To upgrade, open the Home app, tap the three-dot icon in the top-right corner to enter Home Settings, then select Software Update → Update Now, and follow the on-screen instructions. Source

    Microsoft to discontinue standalone OneDrive business subscriptions

    On February 3, Microsoft confirmed in updated support documentation that it plans to remove the standalone low-priced subscription offerings for OneDrive for Business and SharePoint Online (Plan 1 and Plan 2). These plans do not include core productivity apps such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, but have been attractive to users with limited budgets who only need specific features.

    Microsoft plans to stop selling these standalone products to new customers in May 2026, and will disable renewals for existing users in June. The official end-of-life (EOL) date for current subscriptions is January 2027, with Microsoft planning to fully end all technical support for these products in December 2029, at which point the related services will be completely taken offline. Source

    Adobe Cancels Plans to Discontinue Animate

    Following opposition from multiple parties, Adobe stated in a FAQ published on February 4 that Animate, which was previously slated for full discontinuation, will instead enter maintenance mode. Animate will continue to receive ongoing security updates and vulnerability fixes, and both existing and new users will be able to keep using the software. However, no new features will be introduced going forward. Source

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Firefox Adds an AI Toggle, OpenAI Launches Codex Desktop App

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Firefox Adds an AI Toggle, OpenAI Launches Codex Desktop App

    Morning Brief

    1. Firefox introduces an AI feature toggle
    2. OpenAI launches the Codex desktop app
    3. Xbox PC client update integrates NetEase UU Accelerator
    4. Nintendo Switch family sales surpass 155 million units
    5. Crunchyroll announces across-the-board subscription price increases
    6. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Firefox introduces an AI feature toggle

    Mozilla announced on February 3 that it will offer Firefox users an option to disable all AI features. Starting with Firefox version 148, scheduled for release on February 24, users will be able to enable a “Block AI enhancements” option in settings. Once enabled, this will block AI-related pop-ups and prompts in the current version as well as in future updates. In addition, users can use the new AI control switches to manage individual AI features separately. Source

    OpenAI launches the Codex desktop app

    OpenAI announced on February 3 the release of a desktop Codex app for macOS, designed to help developers manage and coordinate multiple AI agents. The app supports parallel task execution, long-running projects, and intelligent automated workflows. Positioned as a developer’s “central command hub,” it connects workflows and tools through Skills, allows users to define scheduled automated tasks, and adapts to individual developers’ usage habits.

    Codex is included with existing Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu subscriptions, while Free and Go users are subject to certain rate limits. OpenAI also plans to release a Windows version of the Codex app in the future. Source

    Xbox PC client update integrates NetEase UU Accelerator

    Microsoft announced on February 3 that the Xbox PC client will now directly integrate the NetEase UU Accelerator. According to the official Xbox statement, this update is “based on a deep understanding of Chinese players’ gaming habits.” After launching the Xbox PC client, users can find the UU Accelerator under “My Apps.” It should be noted that using the NetEase UU Accelerator may require a UU membership. The service is provided by NetEase UU Accelerator and must be purchased separately. Microsoft does not sell, manage, or operate UU membership services, and bears no responsibility for any transactions, content, or services related to UU membership. Source

    Nintendo Switch family sales surpass 155 million units

    According to Nintendo’s latest financial report released on February 3, cumulative sales of the Switch family reached 155.37 million units as of December 31, 2025. This officially surpasses the 154.02 million units sold by the Nintendo DS, making the Switch the best-selling game console in Nintendo’s history. The second-generation console, Switch 2, delivered a strong performance during the holiday season, selling 7.01 million units in the quarter and 17.37 million units over the first three quarters of the fiscal year, and was described by Nintendo as “the fastest-selling dedicated gaming platform in the company’s history.”

    Driven by strong hardware and software sales, Nintendo reported revenue of ¥803.32 billion (approximately USD 5.2 billion) for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, up 86% year over year, while profit rose 20% to ¥159.93 billion (approximately USD 1.03 billion). Source

    Crunchyroll announces across-the-board subscription price increases

    On February 2, Sony-owned anime streaming platform Crunchyroll announced a price increase for all membership tiers in the United States and select international markets. Each plan will see a USD 2 monthly increase. Following the adjustment, the Fan plan will cost USD 9.99 per month, the Mega Fan plan will rise to USD 13.99 (supporting streaming on up to four devices simultaneously and offline viewing), and the Ultimate Fan plan will increase to USD 17.99 (supporting up to six devices and including access to the manga library).

    As compensation, the Fan plan now adds offline downloads on a single device. The platform has also recently rolled out several feature updates, including multiple profile switching, parental control locks, and “skip intro/ending” options. The new prices take effect immediately for new users, while existing subscribers will be charged at the new rates starting with their first billing date after March 4, 2026. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • The Verge reports, citing court documents it obtained, that Google is developing a desktop operating system called Aluminium OS based on Android. The OS is expected to open testing to commercial partners in 2026, while the full official release aimed at enterprise and education users has been delayed until 2028. Affected by existing Chromebook hardware compatibility limitations and Google’s promised ten-year support period, the current ChromeOS will enter a gradual phase-out, with plans to be officially discontinued in 2034. Source
    • Detailed specifications and official renders of the Sony WF-1000XM6 were accidentally leaked on the website of Thai retailer Power Buy. According to the leaked information, the WF-1000XM6 features a fully matte finish, with significant changes to the earbud design, while the charging case adopts a more angular, faceted shape. Based on information from Dealabs and retailers, the earbuds are scheduled to open for pre-orders on February 12, 2026, with official shipments beginning on February 23. The expected U.S. price is USD 329.99. Source