• Google Photos brings its prompt-based editing feature to India, Australia and Japan

    January 28, 2026

    Google is bringing AI-powered photo editing to more users around the world, making it easier to fix your photos with simple text commands instead of complicated editing tools. The company announced Tuesday that it’s expanding natural language-based editing in Google Photos to additional countries, including Australia, India, and Japan. The feature, which Google first launched for Pixel 10 users in the U.S. last August, lets people describe the changes they want to make to their photos rather than manually adjusting sliders or learning complex editing software. Users in these newly supported countries will now see a “Help me Edit” box…

  • Australian autonomous vehicle startup led by ex-Holden engineer secures government backing

    January 28, 2026

    Australian-based startup Applied Electric Vehicles (Applied EV) has received a $30.7 million investment from the federal government for its Suzuki Jimny-based ‘Blanc Robot’ autonomous vehicle project – funding that could eventually see the vehicles operating on public roads. The funding comes from the government’s $15 billion National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC), which has so far invested $1.19 billion in Australian companies. “We are proud to be investing in a company that commercialises Australian innovation, builds the country’s manufacturing capabilities, and creates highly skilled jobs,” NRFC CEO David Gall said in a statement. “By focusing on autonomous electric vehicles for industrial…

  • TikTok settles to avoid major social media addiction lawsuit

    January 28, 2026

    TikTok has reached a settlement in a closely-watched lawsuit over social media addiction, narrowly avoiding a trial that’s scheduled to begin jury selection Tuesday. Terms of the deal, which was reported by The New York Times, weren’t disclosed. TikTok’s settlement comes about one week after Snap reached a settlement in the same case. The trial is expected to move forward in Los Angeles with Meta and YouTube as the only defendants. Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the plaintiff, said in a statement to NYT that they were “pleased” with the settlement and that it was “a good resolution.” TikTok didn’t…

  • Google’s more affordable AI Plus plan rolls out to all markets, including the US

    January 28, 2026

    Google on Tuesday announced its more affordable Google AI Plus plan is now available in all markets where its AI plans are available. This includes the U.S, where it will cost $7.99 per month. The expansion brings the lower-cost plan to 35 new countries and territories, after earlier launches in dozens of global markets, which began with Indonesia last September. The plan includes access to Gemini 3 Pro and Nano Banana Pro in the Gemini app, Flow’s AI filmmaking tools, research and writing assistance in NotebookLM, and more. It also offers 200GB of storage and the ability to share your…

  • Sonos introduces Amp Multi for complicated residential installs

    January 28, 2026

    Sonos has unveiled its first new product of 2026, the Amp Multi. This amplifier is a niche option for the owners of very large or complicated spaces, and it’s being billed as professional grade option for residential audio installations. The Amp Multi has eight 125W outputs and four configurable zones, and each channel can support up to three Sonos Architectural speakers. In other words, that’s a lot more audio than the average home needs. Even the Sonos Amp would probably be overkill for those of you living the apartment life. The Amp Multi will be available “in the coming months,”…

  • What you should know about the owners of US TikTok

    January 28, 2026

    ​ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, recently established a separate American entity to run the app’s U.S. operations. This restructuring aims to separate U.S. TikTok from its Chinese parent, addressing concerns about data privacy and foreign control. The move came after years of pressure from lawmakers, who feared the Chinese government’s potential access to Americans’ data. In 2024, Congress enacted a law, mandating that TikTok’s U.S. operations be separated from ByteDance. ​Under the new structure, about 80% of the U.S. TikTok entity is owned by non-Chinese investors, with ByteDance keeping only a 19.9% share. The newly formed entity, “TikTok USDS Joint…

  • Ferrari PHEV owners not keen on pluging in

    January 28, 2026

    The new Ferrari 849 Testarossa replaces the SF90 Stradale at the top of the Italian brand’s road car range, continuing with the same plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain format comprising a mid/rear-mounted twin‑turbo V8 paired with three electric motors. However, with Ferrari’s application of hybrid technology used primarily to enhance performance rather than reduce emissions, the company’s admission that most owners don’t plug their vehicles in to charge comes as no surprise. During the global launch of the new 849 Testarossa in Spain this month, Ferrari told CarExpert the key difference between the model’s four eManettino positions is not whether maximum…

  • Apple and Google reportedly still offer dozens of AI ‘nudify’ apps

    January 28, 2026

    A recent investigation by an online advocacy organization called the Tech Transparency Project (TTP) found that the Apple App Store and Google Play Store . These are AI applications that create nonconsensual and sexualized images, which is a clear violation of both companies’ store policies. All told, the investigation found 55 of this type of app in the Google Play Store and 47 in the Apple App Store. Both platforms also still offer access to xAI’s Grok, which is likely the most famous in the world. “Apple and Google are supposed to be vetting the apps in their stores. But…

  • Amazon agrees to pay consumers $309M in returns policy settlement

    January 28, 2026

    Amazon has reached a settlement valued at more than $1 billion to resolve claims that it failed to properly refund customers for their returns. The settlement includes more than $600 million already distributed or soon to be paid in refunds, plus additional funds that will be paid out to affected consumers, according to court documents. Under the settlement, Amazon will pay $309.5 million into a non-reversionary common fund, a pool of money set aside for members of the class-action lawsuit. The company has already issued about $570 million in refunds, with about $34 million of refunds remaining. Reuters was first…

  • Toyota teases new SUV – is this the first electric LandCruiser or Kluger?

    January 28, 2026

    A single image of a large SUV has been released by Toyota North America, teasing what could potentially be a three-row electric SUV expected in 2027. This new model could therefore slot in above the bZ4X, and take on the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9. The rear-view image, showing only a large SUV silhouette with a horizontal LED tail-light bar, was posted to Toyota North America’s media site alongside the words: “Something New is On the Horizon.” A nine-second animation also reveals the vehicle’s tail-light design, integrated roof rails and shark-fin antenna, as well as large head restraints and…