TechCapsules

Apple released the iOS, iPadOS, macOS 27.2 update on Monday, adding Siri AI support for French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish. The expansion lets the assistant retrieve personal data from messages, emails and photos and execute multi‑step actions such as batch editing and sharing images. Siri AI also gains onscreen awareness, enabling it to respond to content displayed on the device. Apple says traditional Chinese, Norwegian, Turkish and Vietnamese will be added before year‑end. The feature remains [...]

Apple’s iPhone Duo, the company’s first foldable smartphone unveiled at the Surprise and Shine event, is already facing durability complaints. Bloomberg reports that a subset of early owners experienced screen cracks within hours or days, often hearing a loud “crunch” before the damage appears. Additional reports describe display malfunctions and pronounced creases running down the middle of the $2,000 folding panel. Apple acknowledged the problem, telling Bloomberg it is “aware of an issue impacting the inner display [...]

Apple released updates for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, visionOS and Safari, addressing 329 security vulnerabilities and 1,265 CVE entries. The patches include a CoreMedia flaw (CVE‑2026‑86990) that could let a malicious app capture camera footage on iPhone, iPad, Mac or Vision Pro without consent, and an Apple Intelligence bug (CVE‑2026‑86987) that permits remote extraction of user data on supported devices. A Siri weakness in macOS Tahoe (CVE‑2026‑43736) and several WebKit issues that enable arbitrary code execution [...]

Instagram announced a test of “Features,” a new long‑form, widescreen video format that will run on both the mobile app and Instagram TV. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, who previously opposed long‑form content, said the shift reflects creators’ demand for varied storytelling, while VP of product Tessa Lyons emphasized that “Features” will complement, not replace, short‑form Reels. The rollout will begin this week in a limited test, with broader availability expected over the next month as Meta gathers [...]

Microsoft announced a voluntary exit offer to approximately 60,000 employees—about 25 % of its workforce—across Canada, India, the UK, and the US. Eligible staff at level 70 or below can receive financial support and career‑planning resources to leave before potential layoffs. The program mirrors standard severance terms, with employees deciding by early December. Xbox’s earlier 3,200‑job cut and studio restructures set the backdrop for this broader workforce realignment amid heavy AI spending.

Google released Chrome 156 for Googlebooks, adding 14 updates that include hover tooltips in the AI Mode menu and several usability fixes for keyboard shortcuts. The update follows the previous browser release and is now widely available through the Play Store, with the stable desktop and mobile version having launched a week earlier. The patch also contains 13 improvement updates that address various bugs and performance issues across the platform.

Sean Endicott writes for Windows Central, covering Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps and the broader Windows ecosystem. Since 2017 he has produced over a thousand articles on Microsoft’s software and hardware, including breaking news, analysis and opinion. His reporting spans Windows updates, Surface launches, Microsoft 365 changes and the company’s AI focus. Endicott also authors the weekly “Windows Wrap” column, curating the most significant stories and examining their relevance to Windows and the PC [...]

Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 26H2, the 2026 feature update, is now fully available for all devices running Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2. The update, released on September 29, can be installed automatically if the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” setting is enabled. It is a lightweight enablement package—174 KB—that finishes in under five minutes. The rollout also resets the support lifecycle, granting two years of consumer support and an additional year for Enterprise and Education editions. [...]