Saturday, October 17, 2026
Published 7:01 AM · 120 articles from 14 sources · about 6 min to read in full
Tech industry
Meta's commercial terms and Apple's product and policy announcements led the day. Cloudflare's acquisition of Deno stood out among developer-tools news. Regulators in the UK and the US Congress are active on Microsoft and game ownership.
What happened
Meta's new commercial terms, effective October 30, may let it crawl and train AI on websites associated with advertisers, including news publishers. The Verge ↗
Node.js creator Ryan Dahl is leaving Deno as Cloudflare acquires it. He will work on open source Cloudflare Workers. The Register ↗
Apple's iPhone Duo foldable is available to preorder at $1,999, with a 5.4-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner display. Deliveries slipped to late January 2027 within an hour of orders opening. The Verge ↗
Apple updated App Store rules to explicitly ban AI 'nudify' apps that create nonconsensual intimate images, after criticism over Grok deepfakes. The Verge ↗
The UK Competition and Markets Authority is seeking stricter conditions to curb Microsoft's dominance in business software. The Register ↗
The Financial Times reports Anthropic received the highest junk credit rating in June. The summary gives no further detail. Hacker News (front page) ↗
Apple launched its Home Collection, codeveloped with LG and Schneider Electric, plus the HomeView smart display. The Verge notes HomeView relies almost entirely on CarPlay apps. The Verge ↗
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced the Power to the Players Act, which would require game sellers to describe purchases as ownership rather than a license. Ars notes technical and legislative hurdles. Ars Technica ↗
Articles the model saw · 19
Meta's new commercial terms, effective October 30, may let it crawl and train AI on websites associated with advertisers, including news publishers.
The Vergemetaai-trainingprivacypublishersFeed excerpt
Meta's new terms appear to give it permission to crawl and scrape websites "associated" with the businesses that use its platforms - including online publishers, according to a report from Nieman Lab. The new terms, which go into effect on October 30th, say Meta can use this outside content to "develop, improve, research," and "train" its AI products. While Meta spokesperson Daniel Roberts says that the company is just "consolidating" its commercial and self-serve ad terms, legal experts tell Nieman Lab that this could allow Meta "to argue its commercial terms supersede other blocking instructions," like a site's robots.txt file. That could … Read the full story at The Verge.
Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, is now available to preorder at $1,999 with a 7.6-inch inner display.
The VergeappleiphonefoldableFeed excerpt
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s first foldable phone. | Photo by Antonio Di Benedetto / The Verge Few phones have been more anticipated than a foldable iPhone, but it's finally here. The iPhone Duo was unveiled during Apple's "Surprise and shine" event alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and the Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 models. Apple's first foldable has a 5.4-inch outer screen, and it unfolds to show off its 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR screen. Apple Pencil support is coming later this year. While it lacks Face ID for facial unlocking, there's a Touch ID sensor along its edge to identify your fingerprint. The device has an IP68 rating, with Ceramic Shield 2 on its back, with Ceramic Shield covering the front display. It has the same A20 … Read the full story at The Verge.
Apple announced the iPhone Duo, a foldable with a 5.4-inch outer and 7.6-inch inner display, Touch ID on the power button, and revamped iOS 27 controls.
The VergeappleiphonehardwareFeed excerpt
Apple has finally announced its long-rumored foldable: the iPhone Duo. The new phone has a 5.4-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, a “nano‑texture” finish on the inner screen, and barely any visible crease. Instead of Face ID, it uses Touch ID on the power button. It has two cameras, a main lens and a wide-angle lens. Apple completely revamped iOS 27’s controls and apps for the foldable, including putting the dock on the side of the phone. And it has a flashy opening animation when you unfold the phone. The iPhone Duo a big new bet from Apple, though one that’s a little late to the game compared to competitors like Samsung and Google. The phone isn’t cheap: it starts at $1,999 for the base 256GB model, and the prices only go up from there. Still, Apple said that preorder demand was “extraordinary,” so it could have a hit on its hands. Here’s everything unfolding about the iPhone Duo. Apple says iPhone Duo preorder demand has been “extraordinary.” iPhone Duo orders are already delayed into 2027 The iPhone Duo is now available to preorder at $1,999 Prep your cart before iPhone Duo preorders open tomorrow Repairing the iPhone Duo’s folding screen costs as much as a new iP…
Apple updated App Store rules to explicitly ban AI 'nudify' apps that create nonconsensual intimate images, after criticism over Grok deepfakes.
The Vergeappleapp-storeaipolicyFeed excerpt
Apple's App Store rules now more explicitly ban so-called "nudify" apps that generate intimate images of people without their consent using AI tools. The rule changes follow significant criticism toward Apple after X users used Grok earlier this year to make nonconsensual, sexualized deepfakes, including minors. Apple didn't pull X or Grok from the App Store, though it told senators that it threatened to yank Grok. At Apple's WWDC event in June, protestors also called on Apple to "remove Grok, X, and all nudify technology from the App Store," and in July, a San Francisco city attorney ordered Apple to remove 13 "nudify" apps, which it said … Read the full story at The Verge.
Node.js creator Ryan Dahl is leaving his Deno startup as Cloudflare acquires it, and will work on open source Cloudflare Workers.
The Registerdenocloudflarenode.jsacquisitionFeed excerpt
You're building servers 'wrong,' says Ryan Dahl as Cloudflare gobbles his Deno startup
A US Representative proposed a bill requiring video game sellers to describe purchases as ownership rather than a license, facing technical and legislative hurdles.
Ars Technicalegislationgamingdigital-rightsFeed excerpt
There are still significant hurdles ahead, both technical and legislative.
Apple launched its Home Collection of smart home devices, codeveloped with LG and Schneider Electric, plus the HomeView smart display.
The Vergeapplesmart-homehardwareFeed excerpt
Apple’s Home Collection, codeveloped with partners, is part of the company’s first major push into the smart home category. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge For more than a decade, Apple has told other companies to build smart home devices for its platform. This week, Apple launched its own. The Apple Home Collection is a lineup of cameras, thermostats, sensors, a smart door lock, and a video doorbell, all codeveloped with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. They arrive alongside HomeView, Apple's first smart display. Even after 12 years of HomeKit, Apple's smart home ecosystem still feels underdeveloped, especially compared to the competition. Amazon's and Google's ecosystems support more products, and both have popular in-house brands: Ring and Nest. Apple had nothing of its own to point c … Read the full story at The Verge.
The Financial Times reports Anthropic received the highest junk credit rating in June.
Hacker News (front page)anthropicfinanceai-industryFeed excerpt
Article URL: https://www.ft.com/content/5a310aee-f555-4266-874c-b1b4db20186d Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50122112 Points: 130 # Comments: 41
Waymo plans to begin testing its robotaxis on Toronto streets, expanding its service into Canada.
TechCrunchautonomous-vehicleswaymoFeed excerpt
The company will start off by testing its self-driving vehicles on Toronto's streets.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority seeks stricter conditions to curb Microsoft's dominance in business software.
The RegistermicrosoftregulationcompetitionFeed excerpt
Another reason for Donald Trump to hate British regulation
Amazon is promoting a wearable AI device called Bee that records conversations to recall information and offer shopping recommendations.
The RegisterwearableaiamazonprivacyFeed excerpt
Would you like personalized shopping recommendations based on that conversation you just had?
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced the Power to the Players Act to ensure gamers truly own the video games they buy.
Hacker News (front page)policygaminglegislationFeed excerpt
Article URL: https://ritchietorres.house.gov/posts/rep-torres-announces-power-to-the-players-act-legislation-to-ensure-gamers-own-their-games Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50120101 Points: 97 # Comments: 54
The Verge discusses why Apple's HomeView smart home hub relies almost entirely on CarPlay apps rather than its own app platform.
The Vergeapplesmart-homepodcastFeed excerpt
It's been a couple of days since Apple's big smart home announcement, and we have some more information - and a bunch of new questions - about the Apple HomeView. The device has plenty of computing oomph, is always connected to power, and looks like a perfect place to run a bunch of apps. And yet the HomeView is relying almost entirely on CarPlay. What gives here? On this episode of The Vergecast, David and Nilay try to make sense of the HomeView's app situation, and why Apple would choose not to make its home hub into its own app platform. After that, they talk about the latest Gemini model and whether building the best model matters if yo … Read the full story at The Verge.
Waymo announced its robotaxi service is expanding to Toronto, Canada.
Hacker News (front page)waymoautonomous-vehiclesFeed excerpt
Article URL: https://waymo.com/blog/2026/10/waymo-in-toronto/ Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50118981 Points: 49 # Comments: 53
Tesla's Waco, Texas Roadster demonstration showed a stunt car driving up a ramp and landing with thrusters, but it is not a production vehicle.
The Vergeteslaelon-muskdemoFeed excerpt
Last night, Elon Musk gave the people what they want: a car driving vertically up a multi-story ramp, launching off the edge, executing a mid-air "kickflip" over a lineup of Teslas, and landing via cold-gas thrusters. That's what the people want, right? "We were promised flying cars," sure, but isn't the operative word in that statement "we"? Because as far as I can tell, everything we saw last night - while extremely cool and incredibly impressive - won't result in a real, production-ready car you can park, or, I guess, land in your driveway. Tesla's late-night demonstration in Waco, Texas, certainly gave some corners of the internet wh … Read the full story at The Verge.
Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board 2026 election results: Kees Cook, Dave Hansen, Miguel Ojeda, Shuah Khan re-elected; Laurent Pinchart joins.
LWN.netlinuxlinux-foundationgovernanceFeed excerpt
The results from the 2026 election for members of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board (TAB) have been announced. Kees Cook, Dave Hansen, Miguel Ojeda, and Shuah Khan have all been re-elected, and Laurent Pinchart will be joining the board.
Tesla is reportedly using compressed-gas stunt technology to help its Roadster make airborne spins during demonstrations.
Ars TechnicateslaautomotiveFeed excerpt
If you want to make a car spin in the air, compressed gas is a good way to do it.
Apple's foldable iPhone Duo preorders slipped to late January 2027 delivery within an hour of opening.
The VergeappleiphonesupplyFeed excerpt
Delivery estimates for the iPhone Duo slipped into next year in less than an hour after Apple opened preorders for it at 8AM ET on Friday. At the time of writing we are seeing late January delivery dates for every configuration on Apple's website. The foldable is slated to launch in stores on October 23rd, and Apple typically reserves some units for in-store availability. So while online orders are delayed, you might be able to get one sooner in-person at an Apple Store. The long delay could be due to high demand for Apple's first foldable iPhone, low supply on Apple's side, or a mix of both. Apple announced the iPhone Duo in September, f … Read the full story at The Verge.
Sony will not deliver the promised Android 17 update to the Xperia 10 VI, citing storage configuration limitations.
The VergeandroidsonyupdatesFeed excerpt
When the midrange Sony Xperia 10 VI was announced over two years ago with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset and Android 14, Sony promised three major OS updates which would have included this year's Android 17 release. However, according to a notice posted to the company's UK support site, the Xperia 10 VI won't be getting Android 17 after all. In the notice Sony explains that a "detailed technical assessment" revealed that "limitations related to the device's storage configuration" mean the Xperia 10 VI "does not support an Android 17 upgrade experience that we consider adequate." As a result, the company has "decided not to make this … Read the full story at The Verge.