The Federal Trade Commission has filed an amendment to its lawsuit against ridesharing company Uber, alleging deceptive business practices tied to the Uber One subscription service.The amendment adds 21 states and the District of Columbia to the complaint it filed in California District Court in April. In a press release about the amendment, the FTC said, "Uber charged consumers for its subscription without their consent, failed to deliver promised savings including $0 delivery fees, and made it difficult f ...

Two decades after it ignited a market for robot vacuums in homes, iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, best known for its Roomba robot vacuums, entered the filing late Sunday night after months of warning signs and financial pressure.Under the proposed restructuring, iRobot will be acquired by its primary manufacturing partner, China-based Shenzhen Picea Robotics.The company said it will continue to offer robots and smart home devices to consumers.Massachusetts-based iRobot, w ...

Katelyn Chedraoui Writer IKatelyn is a writer with CNET covering artificial intelligence, including chatbots, image and video generators. Her work explores how new AI technology is infiltrating our lives, shaping the content we consume on social media and affecting the people behind the screens. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in media and journalism. You can reach her at kchedraoui@cnet.com. Expertise artificial intelligence, AI image generators, social me ...

Disney is bringing its catalog of iconic characters, from Marvel to Star Wars and Pixar, to OpenAI's Sora AI social media app, the company announced on Thursday. That means Sora users will soon be able to generate AI videos featuring any of Disney's included characters, with no fear of copyright infringement.In a wide-reaching deal, Disney is making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI. Disney employees will have access to ChatGPT, and the entertainment company will use APIs to "build new products, tool ...

Reddit is taking steps to comply with the new Australian social media ban -- and is even expanding it globally. The social media and community chat forum said in a statement on Tuesday that it will verify that new members and current account holders in Australia are at least 16, in compliance with the country's new law that bans people under 16 from using specific apps, such as Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Snapchat, YouTube, Kick, Twitch and others.But Reddit isn't stopping there. The co ...

Core Insights - Netflix announced the acquisition of Warner Bros, HBO, and HBO Max for $82.7 billion, marking a significant step in its strategy to dominate the global entertainment industry [1] - The deal will enhance Netflix's content library by adding popular franchises such as Harry Potter, Friends, and Batman, as well as HBO shows like Game of Thrones and Succession [2] - Netflix aims to optimize consumer plans and expand content access while maintaining Warner Bros.' current operations and theatrical releases [4] Company Strategy - Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized the mission to entertain the world and promised that the acquisition would enhance storytelling for audiences [3] - Co-CEO Greg Peters highlighted the potential to introduce a broader audience to Warner Bros.' creations, thereby strengthening Netflix's streaming service and increasing shareholder value [3] Industry Impact - The acquisition is expected to solidify Netflix's position as a leading streaming service, potentially altering the dynamics of the streaming wars [5] - The deal, valued at approximately $72 billion after debt, was unanimously approved by both companies' boards and is anticipated to increase Netflix's production capacity for original content [4]

Core Insights - Meta has launched a new centralized support hub for Facebook and Instagram to streamline user assistance and improve account issue reporting [1][2] - The new AI support assistant is being tested on Facebook, aiming to enhance user experience by simplifying access to support [3] - Meta has updated its account recovery process, making it easier for users to regain access to their accounts after being locked out or hacked [4] User Experience Enhancements - The centralized hub is designed to make it easier for users to report account issues and find answers quickly, utilizing Meta AI technology [2] - The AI assistant will help users navigate support options without having to go through multiple menus [3] Account Recovery Improvements - Meta's updated account recovery process will provide timely alerts about risky activities via email and SMS, with adaptable guidance based on user situations [4] - The success rate for recovering hacked accounts has increased by over 30% in the US and Canada this year due to these new measures [5] Security Features - Meta is implementing Security Checkups to help users proactively secure their Facebook and Instagram accounts [6]

Core Insights - Waymo is expanding its self-driving car operations into four new cities: Baltimore, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Philadelphia, with plans for both manual and autonomous driving [1][2][24][25][45]. Expansion and Operations - Waymo is starting manual driving in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, while operating autonomously in Philadelphia with a human specialist monitoring [2][24][25][45]. - The company currently provides fully autonomous rides in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Austin, utilizing the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace [2][6]. - Waymo has announced plans to expand its service to additional cities, including New Orleans, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, San Diego, Detroit, Nashville, Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, with expected public launches in 2026 [26][29][31][33][36][38][40]. Technology and Manufacturing - Waymo is opening a new 239,000-square-foot autonomous vehicle factory in Phoenix to increase its fleet from 1,500 to 3,500 vehicles, integrating sixth-generation self-driving technology [4]. - The company has partnered with Hyundai to incorporate its technology into the Ioniq 5 SUVs and is exploring collaboration with Toyota for future autonomous driving tech [5][54]. Safety and Performance - Waymo has driven over 100 million fully autonomous miles and provided more than 10 million paid rides, reporting significantly fewer crashes compared to average human drivers [6][7]. - The company's safety report indicates an 88% reduction in serious injury crashes and a 93% reduction in pedestrian injuries over 71 million autonomous miles driven [7]. Future Developments - Waymo's sixth-generation self-driving technology aims to enhance vehicle capabilities, particularly in extreme weather conditions, and will debut in the all-electric Zeekr RT [53]. - The company is also working on expanding its autonomous driving technology into trucking, although it is currently focusing on ride-hailing services [55][56].

Core Insights - Apple is projected to surpass Samsung as the world's leading smartphone manufacturer in 2025 and maintain this position through at least 2029 according to Counterpoint Research [1] Group 1: Market Performance - Global shipments of Apple smartphones are expected to grow by 9% year over year in Q3 2025, allowing Apple to overtake Samsung for the first time in 14 years [2] - The iPhone 17 lineup, including iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, has exceeded expectations, while Samsung's shipments grew by 4.6% year over year for the same quarter [2] Group 2: Consumer Behavior - Positive reception for the iPhone 17 lineup has been noted, with many consumers upgrading from older iPhones, particularly those who purchased during the COVID-19 boom [3] - A total of 358 million second-hand iPhones were sold between 2023 and Q2 2025, indicating a potential for further upgrades to new iPhones in the coming years [3] Group 3: Future Projections - Counterpoint anticipates that the introduction of a foldable iPhone and budget models, such as the iPhone 17E, will support Apple's continued market dominance [4] - Apple's global smartphone market share is expected to reach 19.4%, compared to Samsung's 18.7% [4]

Core Insights - The music-streaming service Spotify is expected to increase its subscription prices in the US next year, following similar price hikes in other regions [1] Group 1 - Spotify has a history of adjusting its pricing strategy, which may indicate a trend towards higher subscription costs [1] - The anticipated price increase aligns with recent subscription pricing adjustments made in various international markets [1]