SSPAI

Tag: App Store

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple Tightens App Store Guidelines as Dell Introduces a New Compact Ryzen-Powered Mini PC

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple Tightens App Store Guidelines as Dell Introduces a New Compact Ryzen-Powered Mini PC

    Morning Brief

    1. Apple Updates App Store Review and Subscription Rules
    2. Anthropic Unveils Claude Fable 5
    3. Xiaomi Releases MiMo V2.5-Pro-UltraSpeed
    4. Marshall Launches the Stockwell III
    5. Razer Introduces Its First XLR Microphone
    6. Dell Launches the Dell Pro Micro E Mini PC
    7. Beelink ME Pro 13500H Goes on Sale
    8. News Worth a Quick Look

    Apple Updates App Store Review and Subscription Rules

    Apple has updated its latest App Store Review Guidelines. Under the new rules, Apple may in the future remove certain mature-category apps from the App Store if they have not been updated, improved, or are no longer capable of attracting users over an extended period. The revised guidelines expand the previous rejection criteria that targeted saturated categories such as “fart,” “burp,” “flashlight,” “fortune-telling,” and “dating” apps, broadening them to restrict developers from “opportunistically creating variants of existing app categories or popular apps.” Apple now explicitly mentions wallpaper apps, simple timer apps, and sound-effect apps, requiring new submissions in these categories to provide “differentiated improvements” in order to pass review. Apple has also classified apps centered around drinking, farting, burping, and similar themes as low-quality, low-effort applications, warning that developers who repeatedly submit such apps may lose access to the Apple Developer Program. However, the existing App Store Improvements process will continue to notify developers when apps become outdated or receive little to no downloads, giving them an opportunity to improve their apps before removal. Source

    In addition, during WWDC 2026, Apple announced an expansion of the App Store’s App Bundles feature, allowing developers with overlapping user bases but without direct competitive relationships to jointly offer cross-app subscription bundles for the first time. Users can gain access to multiple apps at a lower price than subscribing to each app individually. Source

    Anthropic Unveils Claude Fable 5

    On June 9, Anthropic publicly launched Claude Fable 5, the first publicly available version of its Mythos model. The model is open for software engineering, knowledge work, and visual tasks, but includes hard safety restrictions in high-risk areas such as cybersecurity, biology, chemistry, and model distillation. Requests involving these domains will be blocked and automatically fall back to Claude Opus 4.8. Anthropic also stated that all traffic associated with Fable 5 and Mythos 5 will be retained for 30 days. According to the company, this data will not be used for training purposes and will only be used to defend against jailbreak attacks and reduce false positives.

    Mythos was initially released to a small group of partners as a preview in April before being expanded to hundreds of organizations across 15 countries, with a particular focus on critical infrastructure operators. Fable 5 is now available through the Claude API and Enterprise subscription plans, while Anthropic is simultaneously deploying Mythos 5 to organizations already approved for access to advanced models. Early evaluations indicate that Fable outperforms competing models in tasks such as complex long-horizon analysis benchmarks, generating complete applications in a single pass, tool usage, UI design, and game development. Both Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are priced at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens, twice the cost of Opus 4.8. Users of the Pro, Max, Team, and seat-based Enterprise subscription plans can access the models at no additional charge until June 22. Starting June 23, the models will be removed from those subscriptions and will instead consume usage credits. Source

    Xiaomi Releases MiMo V2.5-Pro-UltraSpeed

    On June 9, Xiaomi MiMo announced a joint release with TileRT of the UltraSpeed mode for Xiaomi MiMo-V2.5-Pro. Through co-design between the model and the system, the mode achieves a generation speed of 1,000 tokens per second for trillion-parameter models on general-purpose GPUs. The MiMo-V2.5-Pro-UltraSpeed API has also been launched simultaneously. Pricing is three times that of MiMo-V2.5-Pro, while output speed is approximately ten times faster. However, the service is available exclusively through the API and is not included in the Token Plan. The trial period runs from June 9, 2026, through 23:59 on June 23, 2026. Source

    Marshall Launches the Stockwell III

    On June 9, Marshall introduced the Stockwell III portable Bluetooth speaker. Compared with the Stockwell II, battery life has increased from 20 hours to more than 40 hours, while the unit weighs less than 3 pounds (approximately 1.36 kg). It features IP55 dust and water resistance and incorporates Marshall’s proprietary True Stereophonic technology, delivering 360-degree audio regardless of placement position. A built-in dynamic loudness algorithm balances bass, midrange, and treble across different volume levels, while enhancing bass and treble performance at lower volumes. The design continues Marshall’s signature guitar-amp-inspired aesthetic, featuring a PU leather carrying strap, velvet lining, and a brass control panel that allows users to skip tracks, switch presets, and adjust volume. Modular and user-replaceable components include the carrying strap, battery, front and rear grilles, and silicone sleeve. The Stockwell III will be available in two color options, is expected to arrive at major retail channels on August 4, and is priced at $250. Source

    Razer Introduces Its First XLR Microphone

    On June 9, Razer unveiled the Seiren V3 Pro microphone, its first streaming and podcasting microphone with XLR support, priced at $249.99.

    Compared with the Seiren V3 Chroma, the Seiren V3 Pro primarily adds an XLR analog interface while also offering dual USB-C connectivity. Creators can use it as a plug-and-play USB microphone or connect it to an audio interface or mixer via XLR. In USB-C mode, it supports onboard DSP (digital signal processing), including AI noise reduction, a compressor, limiter, and expander. The microphone also features an integrated shock-mount structure and built-in pop filter. On the hardware side, the Seiren V3 Pro adopts a unified enclosure design and includes a gain knob, mute button, and an adjustable shock-absorbing boom-arm mount. It is equipped with a 30mm cardioid capsule and offers a frequency response range of 50Hz to 16kHz. On the software side, the Seiren V3 Pro supports Razer Synapse, enabling 32-bit float recording and integrated RGB lighting effects. Source

    Dell Launches the Dell Pro Micro E Mini PC

    On June 9, Dell listed a new Dell Pro Micro E mini PC on JD.com. The system is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 150 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, priced at RMB 4,279. The device features a compact 1.2L chassis. For I/O, the front panel includes one USB-A 3.2 port and one USB-C 3.2 port, while the rear panel provides one RJ45 Ethernet port, two USB-A 2.0 ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, one HDMI 2.1 port, and one DisplayPort 1.4a port. Source

    Beelink ME Pro 13500H Goes on Sale

    On June 8, Beelink announced the launch of the ME Pro NAS-oriented mini PC powered by an Intel Core i5-13500H processor. The barebones version (without storage) is priced at RMB 2,569. The i5-13500H edition of the ME Pro features a 2+4 drive-bay configuration, offering two 3.5-inch SATA drive bays and four M.2 SSD slots, including one PCIe Gen4×4 slot and three PCIe Gen3×2 slots. It is equipped with two DDR4 SO-DIMM memory slots. The system uses a unibody metal chassis, with a fabric-covered front panel and a magnetic MESH rear panel. Internally, it adopts a DIY-friendly drawer-style design that supports motherboard replacement. Cooling is handled by a vapor chamber and a turbo fan, while storage drives benefit from silicone and aluminum mounting brackets (for 3.5-inch drives only) to assist with heat dissipation. Networking is powered by a MediaTek MT7920 wireless card supporting Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. Connectivity includes three 10Gbps USB-A ports (one front, two rear), one 40Gbps USB-C port, one 10GbE RJ45 port, one 2.5GbE RJ45 port, one HDMI 2.1 TMDS port, and one 3.5mm audio jack. Source

    News Worth a Quick Look

    • During the Nintendo Direct presentation held on June 9, Nintendo shared the latest updates on multiple first-party and third-party titles. Among the announcements, a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time was officially revealed and confirmed for release later this year, while Kingdom Hearts IV was formally unveiled and confirmed to launch on the Nintendo Switch platform from day one. Source
    • Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky has confirmed that the Pebble Round 2 smartwatch will begin shipping in July, with all pre-orders expected to be fulfilled before September. Announced in January, the Pebble Round 2 is a revival of the lightweight, round-faced Pebble Round smartwatch. Priced at $199, it features updated hardware, slimmer bezels, and optional black or brown leather straps. The shipping schedule follows the broad rollout of the Pebble Time 2, which has already reached most pre-order customers. Meanwhile, the Pebble Index smart ring still has no confirmed shipping date. Source
    • Meta has removed code related to NameTag, an unreleased facial recognition system, from the latest version of the Meta AI app. Earlier, WIRED reported that the system had already been embedded in the Meta AI app, which is installed on more than 50 million devices. Designed for Meta smart glasses, NameTag was originally intended to convert faces captured by the glasses into unique biometric signatures known as faceprints and compare them against a facial database stored locally on a user’s device. Faces that could not be identified would be cropped, indexed, and stored locally for future processing. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple Cuts App Store Fees in China

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Apple Cuts App Store Fees in China

    Morning Brief

    1. Apple announces lower App Store commission rates in China
    2. Samsung adjusts low-level flashing mechanism for Galaxy devices
    3. PEGI to revise game age rating rules starting in June
    4. NVIDIA open-sources Nemotron 3 Super AI model weights
    5. Feishu launches official OpenClaw plugin
    6. Tencent’s WorkBuddy (Lobster edition) adds direct WeChat connectivity
    7. OpenAI CEO says AI faces multiple obstacles in the United States
    8. Microsoft to roll out Xbox FSE feature to all Windows 11 PCs
    9. Microsoft announces the return of the Xbox backward compatibility program
    10. Steam Machine Verified standards for gaming consoles published
    11. Firefox 115 ESR support extended to August 2026
    12. Other News Worth a Quick Look

    Apple announces lower App Store commission rates in China

    Apple announced on its developer website that, after discussions with Chinese regulators, the company has decided to adjust App Store distribution commission rates in mainland China. Specifically:

    The standard commission rate for in-app purchases and paid apps will be reduced from 30% to 25%;
    At the same time, for developers eligible under the App Store Small Business Program and the Mini Apps Partner Program, the commission rate for in-app purchases and the commission applied to auto-renewing subscriptions starting from the second year will be reduced from 15% to 12%.

    Apple stated that the new rates will take effect on March 15, 2026, and developers will not need to re-sign related agreements. The company also emphasized that it will continue to provide fair and transparent terms for developers distributing apps in China, and pledged that overall App Store commission levels in China will not exceed those in other markets. Source

    Samsung adjusts low-level flashing mechanism for Galaxy devices

    Tech outlet Android Authority reported on March 11 that Samsung has adjusted the low-level flashing mechanism for Galaxy devices in the latest One UI 8.5 firmware. Tools such as Odin—commonly used for flashing official firmware, installing custom ROMs, or recovering devices—and the associated Download Mode entry point were briefly believed to have been disabled. Affected models include the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the newly released Galaxy S26 series. When users attempt to enter Download Mode, the traditional interface no longer appears; instead, a blank blue screen with an exit prompt is displayed.

    Further investigation shows that Download Mode and Odin still exist, but users must first enable the device’s Maintenance Mode before entering the relevant mode. Samsung has not yet released an official explanation for the change. Discussions generally suggest the adjustment may relate to strengthening system security, restricting firmware sideloading, and tightening ecosystem control. The change may also affect developers, repair services, and users who rely on Odin for device recovery or system downgrades. Source

    PEGI to revise game age rating rules starting in June

    The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) organization announced that it will update its game age rating standards starting in June. Under the new rules, games containing paid random items (such as card packs, gacha systems, or randomized reward keys) will receive a PEGI 16 rating, while social casino-style games will receive a PEGI 18 rating. The updated system will also consider factors such as in-game purchases, online communication features, and design elements that encourage frequent player return—such as daily missions or consecutive login rewards.

    For example, games featuring time-limited or quantity-limited purchase mechanics will typically receive a PEGI 12 rating; if spending features are disabled by default, the rating may be lowered to PEGI 7. If in-game purchases are tied to NFT assets that are required for gameplay and are tradable, the game will be rated PEGI 18.

    The new rules will apply only to games submitted for classification after June. PEGI said the changes reference recent reforms to the rating system of Germany’s Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle (USK). The updated standards will place greater emphasis on online interaction risks and the influence of game design on consumer spending and gameplay behavior, rather than focusing solely on traditional factors such as violence or drug content.

    PEGI noted that after Germany updated its rating system, about 30% of games were affected by the new standards, with roughly one-third receiving higher age ratings. PEGI believes the updated rules will provide clearer information for parents to help them determine whether a game is appropriate for children, while also acknowledging that some game developers may question higher age classifications. Source

    In addition, Valve recently published a statement on the Steam support website responding to a lawsuit filed earlier by the New York State Attorney General regarding loot box systems in games such as Counter-Strike 2 and DOTA 2. Valve stated that paid loot box mechanics in games are similar to opening baseball card packs, blind boxes, or trading card packs in the real world, and therefore do not constitute gambling. Valve emphasized that players can fully enjoy these games without spending money, since items obtained from loot boxes are purely cosmetic and do not affect gameplay balance. The company also said its data shows that most players never open any loot boxes and simply play the games normally, meaning non-paying players are not at a disadvantage.

    Previously, the New York Attorney General filed the lawsuit in February, accusing Valve of “facilitating gambling behavior” through the Steam platform and popular online games, and seeking a permanent ban on promoting such mechanics along with financial penalties. In its statement, Valve said the company has long taken action against third-party gambling websites, banning more than one million Steam accounts involved in gambling, fraud, or theft, and introducing mechanisms such as trade reversal and trade cooldown systems to limit related activities. Source

    NVIDIA open-sources Nemotron 3 Super AI model weights

    On March 11, NVIDIA published a blog post announcing the release of Nemotron 3 Super, the company’s most powerful open-weight AI model to date.

    Nemotron 3 Super features 120 billion parameters and uses a Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) architecture, activating only about 12 billion parameters during inference. The model is designed for scenarios involving large-scale deployment of complex agentic AI systems. Combined with advanced reasoning capabilities, it helps autonomous agents complete tasks with higher accuracy. The model provides a context window of up to 1 million tokens, allowing agents to retain the full state of workflows in memory, avoid goal drift, and significantly reduce the cost of multi-step reasoning.

    NVIDIA stated that companies such as Perplexity, Palantir, and Siemens have already adopted the model in real-world applications, covering core workflows in areas including search, software development, telecommunications, and semiconductor design.

    NVIDIA has taken a highly open approach with Nemotron 3 Super. The company has released the model weights under a permissive license and published the full training methodology, including a training dataset exceeding 10 trillion tokens as well as evaluation recipes. Developers can currently access the model through Hugging Face and several cloud platforms, including Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud, with support for AWS and Azure coming soon. In addition, the model is available as an NVIDIA NIM microservice, allowing seamless deployment in on-premises data centers or cloud environments. Source

    Feishu launches official OpenClaw plugin

    Feishu announced the launch of an official OpenClaw plugin that allows OpenClaw to directly access collaboration tools within the Feishu ecosystem, including documents, group chats, calendars, tasks, and multi-dimensional tables. After granting plugin permissions, OpenClaw can read and analyze messages and document content within Feishu, while also performing actions such as writing documents, sending messages, creating schedules, and generating multi-dimensional tables. This reduces the need for users to repeatedly copy and paste content between AI tools and workplace software.

    The official plugin also supports message reading and replies, cloud document creation and updates, multi-dimensional table data management, calendar and participant management, and task management. These capabilities allow AI to better understand contextual information within collaborative workflows.

    Feishu stated that the goal of the plugin is to expand AI from a simple chat interface into an intelligent assistant capable of participating in real work tasks. However, the company also warned that because the plugin accesses work-related data such as messages, documents, and schedules, potential data security and privacy risks remain. In addition, since AI may produce misjudgments or “hallucinations,” users are advised to preview and confirm actions—such as sending messages or modifying content—before execution, rather than relying on full automation. Feishu also recommends testing the plugin within a personal account environment before gradually integrating it into real workplace settings. Source

    Tencent’s WorkBuddy (Lobster edition) adds direct WeChat connectivity

    Tencent’s WorkBuddy (Lobster edition) announced a new version early on March 12. The update introduces one-click WeChat connectivity, allowing users to remotely command the system through WeChat. The enterprise WeChat version also gains persistent connection capabilities along with automated task execution and monitoring features.

    Among the updates, the “one-click WeChat connection” feature stands out as particularly useful. To enable it, users open Claw Settings in the upper-right corner, select WeChat Customer Service Integration, and scan a QR code with their phone to complete the binding process. Once connected, a dedicated contact appears within WeChat. Tencent states that from that point forward, users can send simple text commands from anywhere, and WorkBuddy on their office computer will immediately execute tasks such as searching for information, conducting research, writing content, or processing files. All operations run locally on the computer. As long as the computer remains powered on, the system can operate continuously 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Source

    OpenAI CEO says AI faces multiple obstacles in the United States

    At the BlackRock U.S. Infrastructure Summit held in Washington, Sam Altman said that as AI technology develops rapidly, negative public narratives have begun to emerge. For example, some critics argue that data center construction drives up electricity prices, while certain companies cite AI as a reason when announcing layoffs. The combination of these factors has gradually turned AI into a controversial topic in public discussions. In addition, debates between governments and technology companies over regulation and the boundaries of power remain unresolved, adding further uncertainty to the future of the AI industry.

    Multiple opinion polls indicate that the American public is becoming more cautious about AI. A survey by NBC News found that 57% of respondents believe the risks of AI outweigh its potential benefits. Research from the Pew Research Center shows that about half of U.S. adults say they feel “more concerned than excited” about the development of AI, a figure that has increased by 13 percentage points since 2021. Altman also said that the United States still leads in the global AI race, but if AI adoption in industry and the economy does not progress quickly enough, that advantage could weaken. He believes AI still holds strong potential to drive economic growth and may reshape how society operates in the future. Source

    Microsoft to roll out Xbox FSE feature to all Windows 11 PCs

    On March 12, Microsoft announced that the Xbox FSE full-screen experience (Xbox Full Screen Experience), originally introduced last June for handheld gaming devices, has been officially renamed “Xbox Mode” and will begin rolling out to all Windows 11 PCs starting next month.

    According to publicly available information, Microsoft’s FSE full-screen experience is similar to Steam’s Big Picture mode and aims to provide a more user-friendly interface for gaming PCs connected to large displays. The mode supports not only games from Microsoft’s own platform but also titles from Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft, and Blizzard’s Battle.net.

    With this mode, players can switch between different gaming platforms using only a controller, eliminating the need to frequently navigate menus with a mouse or touchscreen. The interface has also been redesigned specifically for controller input. Meanwhile, the system reduces background processes and postpones non-essential tasks to improve overall gaming performance. Source

    Microsoft announces the return of the Xbox backward compatibility program

    On March 12, Microsoft announced at GDC 2026 that it will restart the Xbox Backwards Compatibility Program. The initiative aims to allow players to access more classic titles from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 on current and future Xbox platforms.

    Microsoft has not yet revealed the specific implementation details of the revived program and has only stated that it will return in some form later this year.

    Previous reports suggest that the new Xbox backward compatibility plan may support running classic games directly on devices. At the same time, Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox hardware is rumored to be a compact gaming PC running Windows 11 with an Xbox-style interface. Under this architecture, a plausible scenario is that Microsoft could release official emulators for original Xbox and Xbox 360 games on Windows 11, enabling broader backward compatibility support. Source

    Steam Machine Verified standards for gaming consoles published

    At GDC 2026, Valve unveiled the hardware verification requirements for the Verified label for the Steam Machine gaming console and the Steam Frame VR headset. The Verified label is a game compatibility certification system introduced by Valve for devices such as Steam Deck, Steam Machine, and Steam Frame, indicating that a game can run smoothly on the device without additional configuration, with optimized controls, clear display, and full controller support.

    For Steam Machine consoles, Valve has set a performance benchmark of maintaining 30 FPS at a native resolution of 1080p. Valve also confirmed that the certification standards for Steam Deck Verified and Steam Machine Verified are identical. All games that have already received the Steam Deck Verified label will automatically be compatible and will directly receive the Steam Machine Verified label as well. In addition, the certification includes several core hardware requirements, such as overall hardware performance reaching six times that of the Steam Deck and adopting the same controller input standards as the Steam Deck.

    For the Steam Frame VR headset, Valve stated that if a game runs through PC streaming, no additional verification is required. However, for standalone operation on the device itself, games must meet certain performance benchmarks. VR games must maintain a stable 90 FPS, while 2D games must reach 30 FPS at a resolution of 720p.

    Valve also recommends that developers optimize their games for SteamOS devices, such as enabling offline play after the first launch, improving performance on lower-end hardware, and enhancing support for controller input. Source

    Firefox 115 ESR support extended to August 2026

    On March 11, Mozilla announced that it will further extend the support cycle for Mozilla Firefox 115 ESR on older operating systems. The extension applies to systems such as Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and macOS 10.12–10.14, with the support period extended from the originally planned March 2026 to August 2026.

    Mozilla also emphasized on its support page that the team plans to conduct another evaluation in July 2026 and will announce the final end-of-support schedule afterward. Therefore, August 2026 may not necessarily be the final deadline, as the timeline will continue to be adjusted based on user data and usage patterns. Source

    Other News Worth a Quick Look

    • Mark Gurman reports that Apple’s upcoming foldable iPhone may adopt an interface layout similar to the iPad, allowing users to view two apps simultaneously to enhance multitasking. The outer display is expected to be close in size to a smaller iPhone, while the inner display may use a wider aspect ratio similar to Google’s first-generation Pixel Fold rather than the proportions used by some existing foldable flagships. The device is not expected to run current iPad apps directly. However, Apple plans to introduce a sidebar design for its “core” apps and will provide developers with related tools so that iPhone apps can deliver an experience closer to iPad apps when displayed on a larger screen. The report also notes that because the device’s front panel will be extremely thin, Apple may not use Face ID. Instead, it may integrate Touch ID into the side power button and adopt a hole-punch front camera design, while still supporting the Dynamic Island feature. The foldable iPhone is expected to feature two rear cameras and may be priced at around $2,000. Source
    • DJI has recently begun teasing its first 8K flagship panoramic drone, the DJI Avata 360, and confirmed that the new product will launch on March 26. Official teaser posters indicate that the drone continues the Avata series’ integrated propeller guard design and familiar body structure, while potentially offering improved control and flight experience along with panoramic aerial shooting capabilities. Previous leaks suggest that the DJI Avata 360 uses a gray ducted-frame structure with fully enclosed spherical propeller guards. The gimbal reportedly supports a rotating storage design that protects the camera from scratches caused by gravel during takeoff and landing. Rumors also indicate the drone will feature a 1-inch sensor, support panoramic imaging, record up to 6K 60FPS HDR video, and include omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Microsoft Faces Criticism for Repeatedly Hyping Copilot

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Microsoft Faces Criticism for Repeatedly Hyping Copilot

    Morning Highlights

    1. Microsoft faces mounting criticism for repeatedly hyping Copilot
    2. Regulations on Personal Information Protection for Major Online Platforms open for public comment
    3. HP and Dell disable H.265 hardware codec support to cut costs
    4. Grok shows tendencies of “idolizing” Elon Musk
    5. UK Armed Forces Esports Championship to feature Call of Duty and drone-simulation events
    6. X begins displaying account location and other details
    7. Rumors you can just glance at

    Microsoft faces mounting criticism for repeatedly hyping Copilot

    Over the past two weeks, Microsoft has repeatedly faced criticism from media outlets and users over its heavy-handed promotion of Copilot AI features on social media.

    On November 11, Pavan Davuluri, head of Windows, posted on X announcing Microsoft’s ambition to turn Windows into an “Agentic OS.” The reply section quickly filled with users expressing frustration with the system’s increasing bloat and urging Microsoft to stop stuffing AI and ads into Windows. Davuluri later closed comments on the post.

    On November 15, tech YouTuber UrAvgConsumer posted a short video ad demonstrating Windows 11 Copilot. In the video, when the user asks Copilot how to enlarge on-screen text, Copilot fails to direct them to the correct “Text Size” settings page and instead suggests changing the “Display Scaling,” which is already set to 150%. The presenter manually clicks 200%, but the ad’s editing and narration attempt to create the illusion that Copilot successfully solved the problem. Most viewers felt the video actually highlighted Copilot’s unreliability. The ad was later deleted.

    On November 18, Microsoft’s official X account claimed, “Copilot finishes your code before you finish your coffee.” Developers responded en masse, saying Copilot-generated code often contains bugs or logical errors that take far longer to fix than any time saved. Others questioned the value of bragging about code generation speed while the operating system continues to suffer from fundamental issues.

    On November 19, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, posted on X saying he found it “mindblowing” that some people are indifferent toward AI, comparing current AI technology to the era of playing Snake on Nokia phones—implying the public fails to appreciate the magnitude of today’s technological leaps. The remark was widely criticized as arrogant and out of touch. Commenters argued that users are not ignorant of tech progress—they’re simply tired of Microsoft pushing immature and intrusive AI features into the OS while neglecting core issues like stability, ad overload, and privacy.

    On November 20, the official Edge Dev account continued promoting Copilot, claiming it knew users wanted Copilot in the enterprise version of Edge. Once again, the comments were flooded with pushback.

    There is currently no sign that the recent wave of backlash is affecting Microsoft’s pace in promoting Copilot.

    Regulations on Personal Information Protection for Major Online Platforms open for public comment

    On November 22, the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Public Security jointly released the Personal Information Protection Regulations for Large Online Platforms, now open for public comment. The deadline for feedback is December 22, 2025.

    The regulations define “large online platforms” as those with over 50 million registered users, more than 10 million monthly active users, or platforms whose data—if leaked—would significantly impact national security or key public interests. The document sets forth a series of requirements for platform management and organizational structure. Platforms must appoint a Personal Information Protection Officer, who must be a Chinese national without permanent residency abroad, hold a management-level position, and possess veto authority over personal information processing activities. Platforms must also establish a dedicated personal information protection unit responsible for internal policy development, risk assessment, and the protection of minors.

    Regarding data localization and storage security, the regulations stipulate that personal information collected or generated within China must be stored domestically. Data centers storing such information must also be located within China, and their primary responsible persons must be Chinese nationals without overseas residency. If a third-party data center is commissioned, the platform must sign a strict contract and ensure ongoing oversight.

    For user rights protection, the regulations require large platforms to offer convenient channels for users to exercise their rights to access, copy, correct, or delete their personal information. Upon receiving a user request, platforms must transfer the requested data in a standardized, machine-readable format within 30 working days (with a possible 30-day extension for complex cases).

    Additionally, the regulations mandate periodic compliance audits and risk assessments for large platforms. If an entrusted third-party professional institution discovers significant risks, it is authorized to report directly to cybersecurity authorities. For platforms with severe risks or repeated violations, regulators may require mandatory audits by third-party institutions.

    HP and Dell disable H.265 hardware codec support to cut costs

    According to a report from Ars Technica, HP and Dell have recently begun disabling the built-in HEVC (H.265) hardware codec support in the CPUs of their laptops. HEVC is a widely used high-efficiency compression standard for HD video. With hardware support disabled, users processing such video formats lose access to CPU-level hardware acceleration and must rely instead on far less efficient software decoding—resulting in reduced performance and increased power consumption.

    The primary motive behind this move is the upcoming rise in HEVC patent licensing fees. Industry data indicates that beginning January next year, the per-unit royalty for manufacturers selling over 100,000 devices will increase from USD $0.20 to $0.24 per unit. In the third quarter of 2025 alone, HP and Dell shipped 15 million and 10.16 million PCs respectively, meaning even a slight rate adjustment translates directly into millions of dollars in additional cost.

    In response, some Reddit users pointed out that disabling support for a professional video standard on a device priced above $800 and marketed as “Pro” is simply absurd.

    Earlier, Synology also announced it would discontinue HEVC and H.264 transcoding support in its DiskStation Manager software. At the time, Synology explained that since smartphones, computers, and other terminal devices already widely support video codecs, removing server-side support helps reduce resource usage and improve overall efficiency by shifting decoding work to client-side devices.

    Grok shows tendencies of “idolizing” Elon Musk

    According to The Verge, Grok—the chatbot released by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk—has recently displayed behavior that can only be described as excessively flattering, even absurdly worshipful, toward Musk. Musk has long touted Grok as an AI designed to “maximize pursuit of truth,” distinguishing it from competitors like ChatGPT, which he criticizes as “overly woke.” Yet Grok’s current behavior resembles that of a blind superfan, often offering the highest possible praise for Musk regardless of facts.

    Multiple user-driven comparison tests have produced laughable responses. For instance, Grok has claimed that Musk is more physically fit than LeBron James, funnier than comedian Jerry Seinfeld, and more handsome than Hollywood star Brad Pitt (because “handsome faces favor visionary disruptors who reshape reality”). Grok even asserted that Musk could be resurrected faster than Jesus.

    Analysts suggest the phenomenon may be tied to Grok’s retrieval mechanisms and training data biases. When answering questions about Musk, Grok appears to prioritize Musk’s own past posts as reference material, causing its perception to be dominated by Musk’s self-assessment and that of his supporters. Moreover, large language models still struggle with sycophancy, and Grok seems to have amplified this tendency to an extreme—directing it squarely at its creator.

    Musk responded by claiming Grok had been manipulated through “malicious prompt engineering,” leading it to output these absurdly positive statements. He jokingly clarified that he does not possess the qualities the AI attributed to him. As of now, xAI has not commented on how the issue will be addressed.

    UK Armed Forces Esports Championship to feature Call of Duty and drone-simulation events

    According to The Telegraph, on November 21, the UK Ministry of Defence announced the launch of the International Defence Esports Games (IDEG), aimed at using mainstream video games such as Call of Duty to enhance soldiers’ “combat readiness.” The event will bring together military teams from more than 40 countries, who will compete against UK-based players dubbed “future cyber warriors.” Registration for the inaugural competition begins in January next year, with finals scheduled for October at the National Esports Arena in Sunderland.

    In addition to Call of Duty, which simulates traditional infantry combat, the tournament will include a drone simulation category. This event is designed to replicate frontline drone operations commonly seen in Ukraine, helping operators improve precision strikes and reaction speed in complex environments. The Deputy Commander of UK Strategic Command’s Cyber and Special Operations division noted that the conflict in Ukraine has clearly demonstrated the real-world value of gaming technology in training drone operators and strengthening cyberwarfare capabilities. The military believes that high-intensity competitive games can cultivate essential modern-warfare skills—such as tracking multiple threats under pressure, coordinating ground units, and adjusting tactics based on real-time intelligence.

    The initiative is also viewed as part of the UK’s response to ongoing recruitment challenges. The UK Defence Secretary previously announced a “fast-track” enlistment path for top gamers and programmers to bolster the force defending against tens of thousands of cyberattacks each year.

    Despite the UK formally recognizing esports as an official military sport in 2024, concerns remain within the defense community. A former British military intelligence officer warned that virtual training must never replace real-world field exercises. He stressed that whether using commercial titles or custom military simulators, such tools can only supplement and enhance training—not fully replicate the physical demands and complexities of an actual battlefield.

    X begins displaying account location and other details

    Recently, X has begun rolling out a new “About This Account” feature that displays key information about an account, including its registration location, the number of username changes, the original registration date, and the app download channel (such as the App Store or Google Play, with region-level specificity). X’s product lead, Nikita Bier, previewed this feature back in October, stating that its purpose is to increase transparency and combat bots and fake accounts.

    The feature is being rolled out gradually. Users can view the information by clicking the account’s registration date on the profile page. In terms of privacy controls, X defaults to showing location at the country or regional level, but it also allows users to display a broader geographic area or continent instead.

    For the detected country or region, X displays a note warning that the information may not be accurate—it may reflect a travel destination or temporary relocation, and will be periodically updated. If the system detects that a user is using a VPN to mask their real location, it may display a warning on the account page.

    After this data became public, many prominent accounts that loudly promote pro-Trump “America First” (MAGA) messaging were found to be operated from places such as Russia, India, Nigeria, and Eastern Europe—suggesting that operators in these regions may be exploiting U.S. political polarization to generate divisive content, boost engagement, and earn dollar-denominated platform revenue. Meanwhile, many Chinese-language accounts were marked as located within mainland China, indicating they may be accessing the platform through dedicated lines or other methods that bypass typical restrictions.

    Prior to X, Instagram had long offered similar account information and username-change history features. In China, under the Administrative Provisions on Internet User Account Information effective August 2022, internet service providers must display IP address location information “within a reasonable scope” on the user’s account page to facilitate public oversight in the public interest. In practice, “reasonable scope” is typically interpreted as the provincial level.

    Rumors you can just glance at

    • Mark Gurman claims that—
    • Apple plans to adopt an upgrade strategy for iOS 27 and macOS 27 similar to the Mac OS X Snow Leopard era: pausing large-scale feature piling and instead focusing on deep code optimization, bug fixes, and improving system stability and performance. The decision reportedly stems from widespread user complaints about iOS 26, including device overheating, UI stuttering, and app crashes.
    • He also notes that the recent Financial Times report claiming Tim Cook will step down in early 2026 is inaccurate, and that it’s highly unlikely Cook will leave before mid-next year.
    • In the past month alone, over 40 Apple engineers have jumped to OpenAI’s devices division, covering camera engineering, chip development, industrial design, and human–computer interaction. In addition, industrial designer Abidur Chowdhury, who made his first public appearance during the iPhone Air reveal in September, has left Apple to join an AI startup. At present, more than 90% of Apple’s design team has changed compared to the period when Jony Ive departed in 2019.
    • According to screenshots circulating online—purportedly from Samsung retail stores—Samsung’s first triple-foldable phone, the Galaxy Z TriFold, is expected to launch next month. Some Samsung authorized stores have reportedly started taking reservations, though pricing remains unknown.
      Previous leaks suggest the device features a 6.5-inch outer display and 10-inch unfolded size; thickness across the three folding segments is said to be 3.9 mm, 4.0 mm, and 4.2 mm respectively, with an estimated 14 mm thickness when fully folded. Weight remains unclear.
      It may use the same 200 MP main camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7, and could feature a 5600 mAh battery with 45W wired fast charging.