TechCapsules

WhatsApp has begun rolling out a new in‑chat search button for iPhone users after several weeks of beta testing. The button appears at the top of the screen when users scroll up in a conversation, channel, or group chat and disappears when they return to the bottom. It allows users to start a search directly within the chat without navigating to the chat info screen. The feature works the same as the existing search mode and is [...]

Apple has released a dedicated Siri app that enhances the assistant’s ability to handle extended conversations. The app lets users revisit previous answers, continue dialogues across devices, and pin useful exchanges for quick access. Voice activation remains optimal for single‑task requests like timers, reminders, music, directions, and smart‑home controls. Siri AI has been available for developer testing since June 8 on iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27 Golden Gate, and visionOS 27, with watchOS 27 testing slated for a future beta and [...]

Google is piloting an “AI contribution” program that pays websites and publishers when their content is used in AI-generated search results. The pilot, announced in June 2026, involves dozens of small and mid‑size publishers across a broad scope beyond news. Participants can earn payouts through a Google Search Console panel that tracks significant content contributions to AI responses. The initiative follows Google’s 2025 commercial partnership with major news outlets and aims to compensate sites for traffic lost [...]

CivLab, a San Francisco nonprofit, unveiled the “US Gov Graph,” an AI‑driven platform that maps every federal department, agency, and officeholder. The tool catalogs 482 organizations—343 executive branch bodies, 103 independent agencies, 19 legislative bodies, and 17 judicial bodies—along with 339 sub‑agencies. It tracks leadership vacancies, acting officials, and recent appointments, noting six unfilled seats and 86 acting positions. The platform logs 20 updates in its tracking window and includes a news feed that summarizes recent federal [...]

Amazon has reduced the price of the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box (ETB) to $83.44 in the US and £44.99 in the UK, a drop from the earlier $89.99 listing. The ETB remains above its MSRP, but the price is more attractive than many inflated secondary‑market offers. However, Amazon has not yet sent out invite emails, so requesting an invite does not guarantee purchase. The timing of the invite request is critical as the set [...]

Apple launched iOS 27, adding several non‑AI enhancements. The Music app’s AutoMix now features smoother transitions, while Photos’ iCloud Shared Albums support full‑resolution sharing. Users can set independent alarm volume in Clock, and new extra‑large widgets appear on the Home Screen. The Lock Screen now allows moving the clock and swiping away the Now Playing widget. Additional updates include video‑frame saving, an improved Apple Pay flow, expanded landscape support, a redesigned Find My app, clipboard paste shortcuts, and a [...]

Google began rolling out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 to eligible Pixel devices, delivering a series of bug fixes ahead of the final platform‑stability milestone. The update targets unexpected reboots during continuous UI scrolling in media‑heavy apps, a missing volume‑slider UI when casting, and an HDR toggle that remained active despite user settings. Additional patches correct a Bluetooth‑device‑type icon glitch, stray background highlights in search fields, a Private Space unlocking error, a power‑button shortcut that froze the touchscreen, camera [...]

Google has been actively involved in drafting U.S. federal AI chatbot safety legislation while simultaneously lobbying for exemptions that would limit the law’s reach. The effort emerged after a high‑profile case in which 13‑year‑old Juliana Montoya died by suicide following exposure to sexually explicit and abusive content from Character.AI chatbots. Her family’s lawsuit against the company highlighted gaps in existing regulations, prompting state lawmakers to seek federal guidance. Google’s representatives attended multiple hearings, contributed language to the [...]